《Watch & Sword: The Watch-Hand Stops [A Steampunk Adventure Novel]》


 The Beginning Of All Things

    <u>Welcome to Prydain, the Land Of Steam</u>


    The nation of Prydain exists today in very much the same way it has these past several centuries, on the surface at the most: the nation is on the cusp of a new industrial revolution. Steam technology advancements now are pushing mankind into a new era, a new age of progress. The burgeoning nation has just begun to touch the sky and master the sea, two frontiers on the doorstep of the land that imagination have longed for.


    The recent sudden and violent end of one of the oldest and most noble house, House Archdeacon, has threatened that future. Dark clouds circle as history marches forward; the people that call this land home do not have the slightest inkling that this year would usher in the new as well as bring back the forgotten past. Many would welcome it, some would dread its coming.


    It is now early evening and the nation''s governing council, the Landskyp, is meeting. More so they are arguing about trade agreements between houses while the general populous lives on just as it has, unawares of the slow turning of history. The sun is setting on the last day of life as it was. Right now, in the slums of Avindr, a young girl has just pushed a young boy to the ground and started a series of events that will re-shape Prydain and set the nation on a course never thought possible...


    1


    <u>The Beginning Of All Things</u>


    I name you, as my flesh, to my legacy you have claim


    I name you; I bring you into my heart


    I name you, you present my ideas, you present me


    Respect and all that I have to you unconditionally


    Unconditional love, my future to you I impart


    Let the world know...you have my name


    ----a part of the Naming Ceremony


    ¡°Ooof!¡± the boy fell backwards, landing face up on all fours upon the cracked cobblestone.


    The girl standing over him, fist outstretched, scowled. ¡°That''ll teach you. Now stay down or you''ll get another one.¡±


    She brushed her snow-white hair from in front of her eyes behind her ears where it barely reached and rested her hands back upon her hips where they had been before lashing out with blinding speed to deliver the punch. Her bright blue eyes stared intently down at the fellow street urchin; a part of her wanted him to get back up so she could knock him down again. It was not like he had not deserved it though, he and his gang of four others the same age had stolen the only piece of bread an elderly woman had.


    A sigh escaped her lips. ¡°No one helps us, yet everyone knows we''ll help them... well, everyone who doesn''t count in the world. Anyways, where is Alexandra? She missed my sweet moves.¡±


    ¡°Zooey!¡± Another female voice called out from a little farther down the street as if in answer to her.


    The white-haired one called back over her shoulder. ¡°Over here Alex!¡± Not taking her eyes off of the boy she had just introduced to the ground.


    The one on the ground, roughly the same age as his vigilante assailant, stared up as if wishing his eyes could burn a hole right through her. ¡°Just gonna stand there?!¡± he taunted, wiping his bloody nose simultaneously with his tattered sleeve, the blood being indistinguishable from the dirt already on it.


    She pointed her finger at him, ¡°You''re in no position to say anything, just keep quiet now. You all stay where you are as well.¡± She nodded at the other members of the gang hanging back wisely just out of reach.


    Alexandra came up behind Zooey, flanked with two others. The one of the left was a taller girl Alexandra and Zooey''s age with flowing brown hair and the most beautiful golden-amber eyes; the other was the elderly woman the boy had stolen the bread piece from. She was being led by Alexandra, her every step creaking with years and suffering. Zooey handed the scuffed piece of bread she had recovered to Alexandra while the golden-eyed girl went and sat down next to the grounded boy.


    Her voice was soft, and warm like a late summer''s day. ¡°I''m Sophia, may I?¡±


    The boy pulled back, apprehensive, but Sophia reached out and wiped away some more blood that had escaped from his nose. She reached into a pocket on her worn brown dress and produced a pure-white fragment of cloth and handed it to him. His frightened expression relaxed a little as he accepted the cloth.


    ¡°It''s not good to steal,¡± she admonished, yet there was no recrimination to be found in her words.


    ¡°But we''re hungry!¡± he meekly protested, shooting a glance at the four other boys hiding behind some decayed barrels a little further up the street, cautiously watching the proceedings, ¡°We haven''t had anything to fill our bellies in days!¡±


    ¡°But so is she,¡± Sophia countered, voice still soft, ¡°we all are. Everyone here in the slums is hungry and cold. But we can''t steal from each other, then we become heartless. We can''t ever let that happen.¡±


    The boy sniffled, trying to hide the tears that were welling up in his eyes, ¡°I guess so.¡±


    ¡°Everyone here is Oonskat, the outcasts society doesn''t want. If we turn on each other then there''s no hope.¡±


    Officially there were no social classes in Prydain outside of the Noble Houses, which ruled the land and the commoners who filled the ranks of the military, the farms, the tradesman, and merchants. Yet... society looked much different from those at the bottom of it.


    Satisfied that Sophia had the situation under control, Zooey walked over to where Alexandra had helped the older woman take a seat on a dilapidated storefront, still tightly clutching the bread that they had recovered for her. She took a few nibbles, sighed, and placed the bread on her lap. Her eyes were old as they had seen so much, but she focused them on the red-haired girl directly in front of her, the girl''s brilliant green eyes shining brightly in even the old woman''s vision.


    ¡°Thank you Alexandra,¡± she said, her voice trembling, ¡°I don''t know what I''d do without you and your friends around. You''ve all been cursed to end up here, but I''ve been blessed that you have.¡±


    ¡°We''re happy to help,¡± Alexandra smiled, ¡°besides, how else would Zooey let out her energy?¡± She turned to Zooey, ¡°You didn''t have to push him so hard you know.¡±


    ¡°He was running!¡± Zooey protested and held her hands up, still panting from her chase, ¡°it was the quickest way to fix the problem of me having to run after him. He''s fine, Sophia''s babying him so he''ll forget all about it soon. Anyways Alex, we were supposed to be trying to find some food ourselves, now we''ve wasted the last part of the day.¡±


    The elderly woman held up her small piece of bread, but Alexandra put her hands on top of the old woman''s and clasped her hands back over the bread. ¡°No, you need it. If you do want to share it though, I think I can see several young boys who would forever grateful if you helped their stomachs get through another day.¡±


    The old woman smiled, then a hearty laugh erupted. ¡°My dear! Alexandra, you''re wiser then the lot of us put together.¡±


    ¡°Wise enough that we don''t have any food,¡± Zooey murmured not-too-quietly under her breath.


    Alexandra elbowed her friend, ¡°Look, next food we find, you''re first: I promise.¡±


    Zooey shrugged and crossed her arms. ¡°No, I''m fine. Not hungry anyways.¡±


    ¡°All right then...Sophia! Tell him and his friends that they''ll dine on some fine bread tonight.¡±


    ¡°You hear that,¡± Sophia turned back to the boy with a motherly smile, ¡°You''ll be fine. Now get your friends hiding over there and you can all eat a little tonight.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± the boy murmured sheepishly, ¡°...don''t deserve it¡±


    ¡°Of course you do,¡± she grasped his head with her hands and stared directly into his eyes, ¡°no one deserves to starve every day, no one deserves to be here. Now no arguments, and no more stealing. Can you promise me that?¡±


    ¡°Yes we can,¡± a tear finally ran down his cheek.


    ¡°OK, off with you now, enjoy your dinner,¡± Sophia shooed him off so he could gather his friends.


    Alexandra turned back to the old woman, ¡°I hope it''s all right if they share your roof for awhile, they''re not bad at all.¡±


    ¡°I would love it,¡± the old woman accepted with heart, ¡°with some young''uns around the house, they can help me tidy up what there is to tidy. My old home will have some life in it again. Thank you Alexandra, you and yours are the kindest person I have ever met, you''re noble.¡±


    ¡°I''m not special,¡± Alexandra blushed at the praise and waved her hand in front of her, ¡°we''re all just trying to survive.¡±


    With the five boys now helping the old woman get down the street, Alexandra turned back to her two friends. ¡°Well, no food, I''m sorry, it''s my fault: I got us involved again and now there''s barely any daylight left to help ourselves.¡±


    ¡°I think those boys will be fine,¡± Sophia chimed in, her ever-soft voice a comforting swell in the still air, ¡°I think they were on a bad path, they''re on a better one now.¡±


    Zooey whistled. ¡°We should be nobles, the four us. We should be having people bring us plates of cakes, meats, sweets, and anything else we want. We should have estates, and palaces. We should never be hungry, we should have clothes, we should have a full roof over our head, we should be able to go anywhere we want without people whispering, looking at us with contempt and...¡±


    ¡°But think,¡± Alexandra interjected the list that would probably have no end, ¡°if life was like all that as you describe, we wouldn''t have ever met. Then we wouldn''t be friends, we wouldn''t know each other.¡±


    ¡°You, Zooey, and Luca are all the surroundings I need,¡± Sophia added.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah,¡± Zooey yawned, ¡°enough with the mushy stuff, it''s getting late. Let''s head back, maybe Luca had better luck in the Market District then we''ve had today.¡±


    ¡°I second that, I''m getting hungry!¡± Alexandra said with a laugh and put her arms around her two friends as they started to make their way back down the long street.


    All over the nation of Prydain, the sun was beginning to set on the thirteenth of the month of Heyannir, one of the coldest periods of the year. The group of three girls had a long walk in front of them back to their small hovel in the slums of the nation¡¯s massive capitol of Avindr. Zooey was right, by all rights all four of them should have servants waiting on their every word. They should be pampered, obeyed, and provided for. All four of them were born into a different lot in life, but the twisted paths and tendrils of time had led them there, now all four together, different beginnings but the same present.


    They were part of the lowest class of people, the unofficial lowest caste: the Oonskat These were the cast-offs, the disposed, and the unwanted. In practicality, the Oonskat consists of criminals, wanderers, the homeless, beggars, and exiles from the various Noble Houses that rule at the top of Prydain''s social hierarchy. This lowest caste are concentrated in the slums in the north eastern part of the capitol city Avindr, in a district that the other citizenry, the peasants, soldiers, and nobles never venture or even try think about. It is an embarrassment to the shining image of the capitol, to have such a slum district and its inhabitants, but it was a necessity, the unwanted needed somewhere to exist due to the hate-filled spite of the more well-to-do.


    To say the slums are ''run-down'' is putting it politely, they are possibly the oldest part of the city besides the ornate palaces that the Landskyp gather and rule from. Once a place where the normal peasants lived, now it is the domain solely of those unwanted everywhere else. The old wooden buildings are decrepit, falling down, propped up by bricks and equally-rotten planks of wood. Stairs leading up to second stories long since fallen into rubble heaps, foundations of buildings long since gone, empty stalls where business used to take place. Roofs with gaping holes in them and walls covered sometimes only by cloth.


    The ancient cobblestone streets are broken up, hard to walk on, weeds springing up between the cracked stones that had seen so many ages pass. The slums is an endless maze of alleys and small streets that grew over time like weeds themselves. It is easy to get lost in the slums, easy to get lost, and very dangerous if one ventured too far in and found themselves deeper in towards the Dark District.


    Even with all the decay, the slums were quite an inhabited zone, inhabited only by the Oonskat. Looking from afar, the slums were very dense, buildings everywhere, the uneven roofs blocking the view from the ground level. None of the amenities in the rest of the capitol were afforded in the slums, no street lamps, no carriages for easy transportation, wells long since muddied and polluted.


    There were no medical clinics there, and the Oonskat certainly were not permitted into the infirmaries elsewhere in the city. There were also no National Patrols of soldiery to maintain proper order in the area. The National Patrol was guarding the borders of the slums nearby of course, just to make sure whatever was in there did not go out to bother the commoners and nobles, the proper folk of the proper city.


    Alexandra, Zooey, Sophia, and Luca''s little corner of the slums was a single-room shack leaning up against the side of an old stone building that at one point was probably an apothecary of some kind. It is actually a modest abode for the slums, the four them are generally left alone because they are well-liked among most of the Oonskat in the area. This comes from the group''s reputation for kindness and willingness to help others: commodities in either short supply or completely forgotten usually in the slums.


    Each of them has a small pile hay for their beds and fragments of cloth for blankets. The walls and ceiling feature large holes they have tried to cover with odds and ends, pieces of wood or piles of rocks. Littered inside are random items each of them has collected, a piece of a mirror, a chair with three legs, and a badly-tuned lurra with two strings missing. The most valuable and interesting object that they posses is Alexandra''s: a gold piece on a chain. It is the size of a pocket watch but has no latch to open the top and reveal a watch face, it is just a solid piece of gold with some ornate etchings on the top and bottom. Alexandra''s mother had given it to her when she was very little, she had told her it was from her father she never knew.


    Many times Alexandra had wanted to sell it to get food or real blankets for her and her friends, but every time she could not...it was the only item she had ever had from her father. One time Alexandra was about to hand it to a food merchant but without saying a word, Sophia had taken Alexandra by the hand and led her away. Sophia had told her that they didn''t need the food that badly, that they could find some and that Alexandra needed to keep the golden piece...she needed something for herself. Alexandra wore it around her neck at all times, she never took it off and at night she slept with one hand gripping it tightly. She had no idea how her mother had obtained such an obviously-valuable piece, and made her wonder who her father really was. Her mother had always deflected the question and never told her before she died, leaving Alexandra in the dark as to who her father was and broken connections to her past.


    At the top of the social ladder at the opposite end from Alexandra and her friends are where they should be: the Noble Houses, the controlling group of Prydain.


    These families date back to the time of the founding of the nation. Before the current history, the region was divided between city-states, villages, nomadic tribes, and greedy landowners. The land, known then simply as Brithwyr, was fraught with strife, unhappiness and death. This constant state of misery for the people saddened one particularly rich landholder in a village next to the great Saile sea in the south-east, where the capitol of Prydain now sits. This man was known as Willem Arkland: he sought to unite the peoples into one cohesive form that could be at peace and progress into a new era.


    Through shrewd leadership and business dealings, his village became large and powerful, possibly the largest in all the land with him at its head. A genuinely good man by all historical accounts, he wanted the same for all the people he saw living in squalor around him. By building alliances with nearby tribes, Arkland raised an army and swept across Brithwyr in a fast and relatively bloodless campaign. Where there was opposition, he tempered it with friendship, where there was fighting, he saw it done quickly with as little loss of life as possible. The conquered peoples soon discovered they enjoyed life under this new ruler better than their previous lords. Under Arkland''s banner, they were provided with protection, support, and regular communication with the villages around them.


    When the dust settled, Willem Arkland had united Brithwyr under his single leadership. In order to maintain regional control, he appointed preexisting village leaders as new more powerful lords. Under this system, former village heads and tribal leaders could continue to oversee their old lands and people directly. This served two purposes: to continue traditional leadership and maintain the trust of those local people. These leaders'' families became well-known and powerful, they became the leading families of the newly-formed nation of Prydain.


    This system over the centuries changed and mutated and as the original regional territories blurred, it gave rise to current Noble Houses, the houses built around the families that controlled the various regions under Arkland. Now, the Houses are only loosely tied to specific regions and exist mostly out of tradition and respect. They govern the land; the nation, as well as the entire social structure, would collapse without them. Those that are a part of, or serve a Noble House usually live a life of privilege. This is in stark contrast to the commoners of Prydain the class and even in sharper relief to the Oonskat beneath them.


    It should not have been this way: Alexandra was in fact born into a Noble House. Back when her last name meant something other than shame, she was known as Alexandra Benham. When she was just a newborn, her and her mother were exiled from House Benham, cursed to live on the streets as Oonskat. Her mother dead now these past two years, sixteen-year-old Alexandra learned quickly to take care of herself, and those around her.


    Zooey is also a cast-off from a Noble House, House Tatiana. That ancient family did not manage itself well and as its resources dwindled and it sank into obscurity and ruin as the head of the house gambled heavily. Several bad business deals and a quickly shrinking monetary reserve caused House Tatiana to jettison many parts of itself to just stay afloat and viable. One of those parts was Zooey. She was disowned when she was seven years old for nothing she did, just an attempt to save money. Cast off and branded as an exile, she was untouchable by society and forced to the slums alone. Old enough to understand what has happening to her, and by nothing of her own doing, Zooey has developed a chip on her shoulder very quickly. Despite her anger and resentment about how her former family treated her at such a tender young age, she cares deeply for the friends she discovered and will fight hard to protect them, they are the only people she loves.


    She met Alexandra on the streets when she was ten: it was a rainy night and they both needed a dry place to sleep. Zooey had the spot, but Alexandra had a coveted handful of cheese she had taken out of a trash heap behind one of the stalls in the Market District. It was Alexandra that offered a trade: the food for sharing the dryness for the night. Zooey was distrustful but agreed, sensing the earnestness in Alexandra''s voice, and figuring she could beat her up and escape if needed. However, with similar backgrounds and being the same age as well, Zooey''s internal defenses were overcome and the two became quick friends. They have stuck together ever since.


    The third but not final member of their cabal, the golden-eyed Sophia, was a recently orphaned peasant of five when she was seen by and adopted into House Bradana. They were a mid-level House of mild historical importance. The Bradana family is very old itself, possibly dating back to around the same time as House Arkland. However in more recent times its influence has faded and its influence shrunken due to relaxed and casual leadership by its aging heads and old-style attitudes. Content with pomp, ceremony and playing the noble part, House Bradana is physically only an estate in the country. They possess no military forces, just a small family and small staff. Because of its historical importance it is well-regarded and is present at state events and is seen as a wise guide to society. Its leadership is content to play that role and does little but maintain House Bradana''s current size and position.


    When at the age of twelve, Sophia was accidentally caught up in a peasant protest while she was out shopping in the Market District. Swept up into the crowd as she exited a store, she was not strong enough to break out of the sea of surging bodies and was carried along in the flow. When soldiers from several Houses arrived to break up the protest before it escalated, she was discovered and recognized as a member of House Bradana. Sophia, timid by nature, was too soft spoken to properly defend herself. Scared of the adults arguing around her, she could not explain what had happened adequately when harshly questioned.


    Believing her to be a part of the protest, Sophia was quickly ''un-adopted'' by the image-conscious noble family and sent back to the streets. Someone of Sophia''s nature would not last very long on the streets of the slums, filled the criminals, the desperate, and the forgotten. She hid most of the day, venturing out of her overturned barrel only at dusk to try to find scraps to eat that the rats had not yet taken away. A year passed when one fateful night she was set upon by a gang of other Oonskat who wanted the old blanket she had found half-buried in the mud. Alexandra and Zooey happened to be passing by and seeing the helpless Sophia they intervened and drove off the attackers. Leaving the area quickly, lest the gang return with more numbers and fortified resolve, they took Sophia to their residence: the half-collapsed shed on the side of an old decrepit building. Alexandra and Zooey had some food, meager as it was, and Sophia had a blanket. An amicable agreement was quickly reached to share and Sophia had never left their side since.


    Despite being a year older than the others, Sophia is often meek when around strangers, she is at times almost the ''little sister of the group''. An easy target for opportunists, Sophia is protected by the others while providing the unconditional loving center of this found family.


    Zooey looked up at the sky with her hands behind her head, seeing the starts beginning to come out,¡°It''s already dark!¡±


    ¡°It''s getting much colder too,¡± Sophia rubbed her hands on her arms, her thin clothing not adequate to keep out the season.


    ¡°It''ll be all right,¡± Alexandra tried to sound hopeful, ¡°we''re almost home, we can get a fire going and I''m sure Luca will have brought back something from the Market District.¡±


    Luca was the fourth member of their group, and at age fifteen, he was the youngest among them. Sometimes this is a source of kindhearted teasing from the others, but it does bother him and drives him to always try harder and match the bravery and kindness he sees in his companions. Luca, just like the others, was meant to be somewhere else; he was born originally into the respectable mid-level House Maren.


    His mother was meant to marry into another noble house, House Cornelius, to solidify an economic agreement between the two Noble Families. Luca''s mother instead conceived with the man she loved, a servant of House Maren. Outraged and wanting to quickly punish and remove the problem before House Cornelius could object further, Luca''s mother was exiled. She did not last long on the streets and Luca was brought up by an elderly peasant couple until their own deaths when he was thirteen. The newest member of the small group, he met the others when they saw him take on a gang of five Oonskat boys much older and bigger than him. Badly beaten, Luca continued struggling until the gang had had enough and left. Alexandra, Zooey, and Sophia befriended him and he joined their little family.


    ¡°Get behind me,¡± Alexandra suddenly said, motioning for the others to fall in line behind her.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Zooey peered intently ahead, her hand reaching for the rusty dagger hanging from her belt.


    Alexandra''s eyes were narrowed and alert, ¡°Trouble. Just keep walking.¡±


    Zooey finally saw what Alexandra had noticed: a man standing in the shadows to the right of the street ahead of them. With no other alternate route home, they would have to pass this stranger. This was someone they had seen before though, someone they did not want to be acquainted with at all. They began to pass by him when his head raised and a wicked smile broke out from under his grimy top hat.


    ¡°It''s late for three such beautiful young things to be walking alone in this part of town. It''s like you''re asking for something to happen. Ah, and there''s Sophia, you look so delectable tonight...¡±


    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    He could not finish that sentence because suddenly Zooey''s dagger had flown from her belt and was now pointed at the man''s throat.


    ¡°Zooey!¡± Alexandra quickly stepped in.


    ¡°This creep again,¡± Zooey would not take her eyes or blade off of the man.


    ¡°Can we please just go...¡± Sophia said barely above a whisper, eyes cast pensively at the ground and she tried to make herself a small as possible behind Alexandra.


    ¡°We told you before,¡± Alexandra stepped parallel to the man next to Zooey''s blade and looked him firmly in the eyes, ¡°Sophia was no interest in your ''offer'', please leave her and us alone. We don''t want anything to do with your flesh-peddlers or your way of life.¡±


    ¡°It''s such a same. You could all make such a killing,¡± came the toothy response.


    ¡°I''ll show you a killing...¡± Zooey began to press the dagger before Alexandra''s quick rebuke stopped her.


    ¡°Zooey!¡± Alexandra was flustered but maintained her composure, ¡°look, please leave her and us alone. The answer is no, it will always be no. Stop wasting your time.¡±


    ¡°Listen...¡± the man continued undeterred, ¡°you three are missing out on so much money. Even the younger guy we''ve seen you running around with, we could even have a spot for him. My masters will kindly take you all in, you know, some people like a...¡±


    ¡°We''re never going into the Dark District, never. Now please, tell your masters that message,¡± Alexandra''s tone did not invite further discussion.


    The Dark District is the unofficial name for the section of the capitol deepest in the slums. It sits in the north western part of the city, a large area, but dwarfed in comparison to the city proper. Out of sight, out of mind of the citizens that never ventured near the slums, they were happy to let the criminals stay there and not bother them. To the east is Coal City, the main industrial district of the city, a large strip that runs from the north east of the capitol all the way down to water in the south. A district of Avindr filled with factories and populated only by workers. It is relegated to the far east of the city due to black fumes that shoot from the tall smoke stacks. It is the industrial heart of Avindr, as well as all of Prydain, the largest concentration of industry anywhere in the land. Everything from weapons to furniture is made there. Immediately to the south are the docks. The docks run the southern length of the entire city bordering the Saile.


    The Dark District is where the worse of the criminal underworld worked and plied their varied evil trades. It was a place where anything could be bought and sold, decadence in its throne room. It was the black spot of Avindr even more so than the slums and Oonskat, a place decried by the representatives in the Landskyp. Despite all the rhetoric and the public shame of the area, nothing was done because those very nobles that give proud speeches against the criminals and their lair in the city sometimes would indulge in the various pleasures and forbidden fruits to be found there. It was a place where one could go in and likely never come out again, either in body or spirit.


    The slums were the border between the Dark District and the rest of the city proper. No one was exactly sure what was going on among the under-lit streets and imposing buildings...those who went in for dubious business never would say, and no guards were brave enough: it was not worth losing their lives over. The crime lords too had their fingers in enough politics and enough dirt on many nobles to assure that no initiative would be passed in the Landskyp to clean up the district. Beyond that fact, the criminals knew that no real action was demanded by the peasants because they hid themselves in the Dark District, they worked quietly and invisibly in the city proper as well as their more far-reaching operations in Prydain. Content that the evil stayed in its cave for the most part, there was no real pressure to spend the men and resources to clean up the area.


    This particular man that Zooey now had her blade trained on was such a criminal from the Dark District. He was known to work for some of the worst of the worst, an infamous brothel known as The Guilty Lady. Sophia, with her soft features, long hair, and beautiful golden-amber eyes had caught the attention of the criminal lords that reigned over that dark abyss. They recognized her unique beauty, and they coveted her features, her body, her soul. Desperately wanting her for their business, she would just the perfect one to tempt even more of the higher-classes through their doors constructed out of broken dreams. The clarity and purity of her soul is also what they saw, and they wanted that most of all. It would be another thing their customers would find appealing, one more thing they could enjoy taking from her.


    Several times they had sent messengers to try to seduce Sophia in going with them; promises of money and acceptance were made but Sophia would have none of it. The previous times, Alexandra, Zooey, and Luca had run off the tempters, firmly rebuking them, but the attempts didn''t stop. Every time, grander promises were made, more money offered, bigger and shinier bobbles presented. This man now in their path was yet another in a long line that had to tried to draw Sophia and the others into the Dark District.


    Negotiations breaking down, the man snarled, ¡°My employers do not like people saying no to them.¡±


    ¡°Well, they''re hearing it now!¡± Zooey''s eyes burned with intensity, her blade not quivering at all in her hand, perfectly still and poised ready to draw fatal blood.


    Alexandra tried to bring the encounter to a close. ¡°Look sir, the life you offer is an endless hole, a trap that people can''t get out of. It''s not something we want for our friend or our ourselves. We want better, and we intend to be better... none of that is to be found with you.¡±


    Sophia shrank further as the man''s lascivious gaze to rest firmly on her, as he gestured grandly


    ¡°Why don''t you let sweet-cheeks here speak for herself. How about it love, last offer. Don''t let these deny you life of comfort and wealth! You''ll be provided for, you''ll live in complete comfort! No more living in a broken-down shack on the side of forgotten alley...no more going hungry night after night! No more being ashamed of your clothes because the holes get bigger and it''s harder to cover up! You''ll have the prettiest clothes and be desired by all...isn''t that something you want? Isn''t that better then what you have now?!¡±


    ¡°No, no thank you,¡± Sophia whispered, tears beginning to fall onto the cobblestone below.


    Alexandra took a step back and put her arm around Sophia, ¡°She has us, now please leave.¡±


    ¡°Get lost,¡± Zooey added, gesturing with her blade towards the opposite way down the street, ¡°our broken-down shack is way better than your filthy whorehouse any day any time.¡±


    ¡°Such a dirty word for such a pretty girl to say,¡± the man licked his lips, ¡°we prefer to refer to it as a gentleman''s club¡±


    ¡°There''s none of them to be found there I assure you,¡± Alexandra contradicted him immediately.


    ¡°Some of the most powerful men in Avindr, in all of Prydain frequent the Guilty Lady. Sophia, wouldn''t you want to be with those men? All of them? You could find yourself a rich patron and wrap them around your finger. Just think of all the pretty things you could get, all the...¡±


    ¡°No. Tell them no. You''ll never have her, tell them that if you wish,¡± Alexandra said flatly, still gripping Sophia tightly to her. ¡°Please leave or now or Zooey will not be able to hold back and will encourage you to leave.¡±


    The man tipped his hat, ¡°I''ll tell ''em, but I don''t think they''ll like it. We could have done this business-like, no need for harsh words, everyone coming out a winner. Oh well, have it your way, I''m just a messenger and lowly errand boy.¡± He put his hands in his pockets and began walking away into the dark, whistling as he went.


    ¡°Don''t worry about him Sophia,¡± Alexandra comforted her friend, ¡°he won''t be back. Everything will be fine.¡±


    ¡°Besides, if he does,¡± Zooey slid her blade back onto her belt, ¡°I''ll give him what-for.¡±


    ¡°I don''t want anyone getting hurt for me.¡±


    ¡°Sophia,¡± Alexandra put her face in front of Sophia''s so she could see her eyes plainly, ¡°we''re here for you, and we''ll always be here for you.¡±


    ¡°No one''s getting hurt except anyone who crosses me,¡± Zooey smiled confidently, hands behind her head again, kicking a little stone that had come loose on the street, ¡°especially if they''re between me and some food!¡±


    ¡°You can''t win every fight, sometimes it''s better to walk away,¡± Alexandra chuckled, knowing Zooey would have none of it.


    ¡°Uh-huh, yeah, got it,¡± Zooey was already not listening and now fantasizing about food.


    ¡°Come on,¡± laughed Alexandra, pulling her friends along with her, ¡°we need to get back home or else Luca will go mad with worry.¡±


    ¡°He''ll probably think the worst, go out and get himself into trouble trying to do the right thing or something,¡± Zooey tried to feign indifference but it was of no use.


    ¡°It''s so beautiful,¡± Sophia was looking up at the clear skies, the stars shining like diamonds high above, ¡°whenever something worries me, I just look up at night and I feel all right.¡±


    Alexandra still had her hand to Sophia''s back, silently letting her know she was still there as always.¡°I agree, it''s nice to know that something so beautiful hangs over a place like this just like it does where the Nobles live.¡±


    ¡°I wish the stars would spit on them,¡± Zooey glanced upwards.


    ¡°That''s not nice,¡± Alexandra chided, ¡°not all the Nobles are bad. A few bad people don''t mean they all are.¡±


    ¡°The family that kicked me out was pretty bad,¡± Zooey''s eyes flashed with momentary anger, ¡°and yours, and Sophia''s!¡±


    ¡°Come on,¡± Alexandra urged them forward, ¡°all this complaining isn''t getting us home...and as much as I like the stars, I''d rather be seeing the insides of the my eyelids¡±


    Sophia finally piped back up, ¡°sounds good to me.¡±


    ¡°And me,¡± Zooey nodded, letting the moment of anger and the memory go.


    The walk back to their home was long and tiring indeed, their feet ached with every step on the uneven cracked cobblestone. The wind picked up slightly, teasing, whipping at the hanging threads of their clothes. Clouds moved with the wind overhead, the stars playing hide-and-seek behind them in the heavens. The girls walked closely together for safety and warmth as the night grew later and the temperature grew colder. Lights from buildings, candles down dark alleys slowly went out as the people of the slums tried to escape their lives for just a few hours, hoping their dreams brought a better, albeit temporary, life. The slums never slept all the way...there were always scavengers, thieves, killers that all roamed at night. Many Oonskat though were victims of social circumstances, not criminals, just the unfortunate. Those people, the dispossessed that were just trying to survive, they tried to sleep and tried to stay safe from the real criminals and monsters that prowled those same streets.


    The endless sea of collapsing buildings and human wreckage finally gave way to a welcome sight: their shack. A light was emanating through the large cracks in the walls let them know that Luca must already be back from the Market District. Zooey brushed the cloth doorway aside and Alexandra made sure Sophia entered before she herself walked inside. She immediately turned around and fastened the cloth in place over the opening with a small piece of leather string. It was not security at any means, but at least symbolically kept the world out.


    ¡°You''re back!¡± the smiled beamed on the boy''s face. He was sitting in the center of the shack next to small fire.


    ¡°Hey Luca,¡± Alexandra turned to face the rest of the small room, ¡°how was your day?¡±


    He suddenly looked downcast, ¡°I''m sorry Alex,¡± tears suddenly welled up, ¡°I couldn''t get anything...I tried...I tried all day. No one wanted any help...any help from me...one of us. I...I tried to beg the merchants for food when it got dark and they were closing...but, they gave most of the scraps to the dogs...I tried to grab some, but there were too many...¡± Alexandra saw the cuts on Luca''s hands.


    ¡°Hey, hey,¡± Alexandra came over and put her hand on the top of his head, ¡°we didn''t do so hot either. Zooey chased down a gang, got bread, then I gave it away.¡±


    ¡°Typical,¡± Zooey plopped down on her bedding partially feigning exasperation, ¡°I did all the leg work, Alexandra made nice with everyone...same old story.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like you all had an exciting time,¡± Luca picked his pocketknife back up and continued on the whittling he had been doing before the others entered.


    ¡°Too exciting for me,¡± Sophia waved her raggedy blanket in the air, shaking off dust and bugs.


    ¡°We''ll all go to the Market District tomorrow,¡± Alexandra walked over to her own small pile of moldy hay and blankets, ¡°I''m sure between all four of us we can get something good to eat.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Luca protested, ¡°I don''t want to see you, all of you begging. Let me...¡±


    ¡°None of that,¡± Alexandra brushed off a final cricket from bedding and sat down, ¡°we''ll all go. We all need to eat.¡±


    ¡°I can stay here,¡± Zooey stretched her arms out above her head, not meaning the comment in the least, ¡°I have a lot of sleep to catch up on.¡±


    ¡°Beauty sleep?¡± Luca whispered.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Zooey threw a handful of hay in Luca''s direction.


    ¡°Don''t listen,¡± Sophia was washing her hands in a small muddy puddle near the side of the shack, ¡°you''re beautiful Zooey.¡±


    ¡°Why thank you, I know it.¡±


    Luca was looking up at the clouds through a large hole in the wooden planks that was the ceiling. ¡°It''s going to be a cold one. I heard some peasant women in the Market saying that the farmers outside Avindr are predicting a cold spring, colder than winter last year.¡±


    ¡°Is that the juiciest gossip? The weather?¡± Zooey sounded disappointed, ¡°come on, how about some Noble love-triangles? Military coups?¡±


    ¡°Zooey, that''s so lurid.¡± Sophia preferred more romantic fare herself.


    ¡°Well,¡± Luca thought hard about everything he heard from the people ignoring him in the Market, ¡°um, I heard Land Pirates have been seen on the plains of the Distansera...¡±


    ¡°Yeah!¡± Zooey was interested, ¡°now this is the good stuff!¡±


    In the north-east, the great and impassable Rotsen mountain range fades and gives way to the Distansera, endless flatland that goes so far to the north-east that no one in living memory knows what lies on the other side.


    ¡°The National Patrol can''t find them, and no one knows where they''re based.¡±


    ¡°Now that''s an exciting life,¡± Zooey sprawled out on the hay, ¡°doing whatever you want, living on Landships. That''s the life for sure.¡±


    ¡°Pirates?¡± Sophia wanted nothing to do with it, ¡°I always thought those were on the sea.¡±


    To the south of the nation was the great sea, the Saile. It covered the made up the entire southern border of Prydain: all the way from the Great Woods in the west the impassable bogs & marshlands of the east. Its boundaries were unknown, it seemed to stretch in every direction, perhaps even to the end of the world itself.


    ¡°Well, I wouldn''t be a pirate I guess.¡±


    ¡°Let me see what else,¡± Luca thought back, ¡°there''s going to be a big banquet to celebrate something for House Cornelius, invite only of course. There''s going to be a Landskyp gathering in a few months...¡±


    ¡°Boring,¡± Zooey yawned as she sat up and reached for the lurra propped up against the stone wall.


    ¡°Suit yourself,¡± Luca went back to his whittling.


    ¡°Oh I am tired,¡± Alexandra now stretched her arms out as wide as they would go, ¡°I am going to sleep very well tonight.¡±


    ¡°Maybe I can steal another string or two for this,¡± Zooey plucked at the few remaining strings, straining some notes from the very old instrument.


    ¡°Good night,¡± Sophia''s eyes were already closing, her hands folded near her head.


    ¡°Good...¡± Zooey looked over, ¡°and she''s already asleep. I envy that one.¡±


    ¡°Maybe we can find some cleaner water in the Market to,¡± Alexandra''s eyes were drooping, not knowing her tattered blouse had accidentally slipped from her shoulders to her middle back, revealing a tattoo under her left shoulder. It shone , reflecting the last threads of the fire in the center of the room. It was a word in fancy flourishing letters: Benham.


    ¡°Wow,¡± Zooey said without thinking.


    Alexandra blushed and quickly pulled her shirt back up as quick as she could.


    ¡°I''m sorry Alex,¡± Zooey realized she had embarrassed her friend, ¡°it''s just, every time I see it... my own back hurts. I still can''t believe they did that to...giving you the Family Name, then exiling you. That''s just cruel...and how they did it....I mean...¡±


    ¡°It''s in the past,¡± Alexandra tried to move on, working to make a makeshift pillow out of some hay.


    ¡°But, using metal for a tattoo...Alex, they gave you the name and then sent you here. They gave you the Family Name!¡±


    ¡°I know!¡± Alexandra shouted, then paused, taking deep breaths to try to calm down, ¡°but there''s nothing we can do about that. It''s unfair, it''s unfair what happened to all of us, but, there''s nothing we can do. That''s it: nothing. Nothing except to try to keep on living.¡±


    ¡°You''re noble to me,¡± Luca interjected, ¡°no matter what some law says.¡±


    ¡°A perfect gentleman,¡± Alexandra smiled as she laid her head down on her makeshift pillow.


    ¡°I''m going to bed,¡± Zooey set the lurra down, ¡°today''s been exciting enough. I hope tomorrow''s quieter.¡±


    ¡°But you''re always saying how you want to have adventures, find fortunes, fight epic battles,¡± Luca was also getting into bed, closing his pocketknife.


    ¡°Those can start after I rest,¡± Zooey pulled the shreds of cloth she used as a blanket up close to her head.


    Alexandra took one last look around the shack, the dying embers of the fire providing a soft orange glow. ¡°Good night, everyone sleep well. We have a big day tomorrow. Let''s try for a steak dinner and maybe some cakes.¡±


    ¡°My stomach would probably explode if it had those again,¡± Luca smiled at the thought of the tasty treats, ¡°it''s been so long.¡±


    ¡°I''d fancy the cakes...¡± Zooey was nodding off.


    ¡°I''d fancy any food,¡± Alexandra whispered so no one else could hear it. Her eyes slowly blurred and her eyelids finally shut.


    The Noble Family Names, they were the most prized possession in all of Prydain. Everyone has a last name of course, but few have the last name of one of the Noble Houses. To have one those noble Names officially bestowed upon you entitles you to a life of luxury, respect, comfort, and power. It is difficult to obtain one of these names however, being born into the House does not even automatically grant someone the Family Name. It is bestowed by the leader of the House, only that person can give someone that distinction. The way a Family Name is conferred to someone is the leader of the House will gift them an item that bears the noble family''s name upon it in some fashion.


    This ''Named Relic'' as they are called by commoners who view the proceedings of the nobles with envy, can be any physical object: a sword, a piece of jewelry, a pair of eyeglasses...anything that is durable and will last over time. In a usually private ceremony, though sometimes they are made into grand public spectacles, the leader of the House, has the Family Name etched onto the Relic, and that item is then given to recipient. In the instance that the recipient is a newborn or just a small child, as is often the case when a Naming is performed, the Relic is given to the recipient''s guardian. This is usually the mother, to hold for the intended receiver and to be given to them at a later date.


    The Family Name is important in a very different manner as well beyond the luxuries it entails. Someone who bears the name of a Noble Family is considered a representative of that House in any and all matters they are involved in. Whatever that person says or does, carries the weight and commitment of the entire Noble House behind it. Because of the inherent danger of someone abusing this power, the Naming is kept very small, and usually to very close and trusted family members only. Female members of the House are not usually Named because they are usually married off to other Noble Houses to seal economic deals or fulfill long standing obligations of various natures.


    The exact reason that it is rare and also undesirable that someone be Named to one House and then later also be Named to a different House, through marriage or unusual circumstances, is because at that point they possess the authority of two Family Names. At this point, they speak with the might of both Houses as a unquestionable representative of both, thus wielding twice the power...more so than any one House usually has.


    This creates a binding alliance between the two houses in all matters that the dual name wielder becomes involved in, and commits the sizable economic, social, and military force of not one but two Noble Houses at the same time, superseding any previous agreements or standings. The reason that whatever a Name family member says or does at the immediate moment overrides any previous stated position or action is because the Name recipient is a full-powered representative of the House at the present moment; whatever they say or do represents the current position of the House and therefore invalidates any previous actions by the House and commits it wholly to a new course. In order to eliminate the possibility of dual Names being given, female members of the House are rarely, if ever, bestowed the Family Name. It is not unheard of though, women have even been heads of Houses before, but those occurrences are few and far between...and only happens when no Named male heir is alive.


    Just as complex as the Family system of Prydain is, it has an equally complicated and mysterious system for keeping it legitimate and free of fraudulent claims. It would be easy for any person to go out and scratch a Family Name into whatever they find on the side of the road and then present themselves to the nobility and demand acceptance into a Noble House. To prevent abuse and false claims in the system, each Name Recipient has to be verified by the Watchers at the time that they take their rightful place in the House. This can happen at infancy, or at any later time if the parties so wish. Verification can be made at any age with no restriction. The way they weed out the con artists from the true members of the nobility is through the verification, a ceremony that takes place in the Watchers domain of the capitol.


    The Name recipient and their Name Relic are taken to the Winnowing Chamber, a beautiful chamber made of gold with a ceiling completely constructed out of stained glass. This special room sits at the end of a long corridor that wraps around the chamber''s circumference once it reached the room. In the center of the chamber is a large machine, extending from unseen caverns deep below up to almost the glass ceiling. It is also inlaid with gold and consists of a series of large metal beams that twist and turn around each other, occasionally along the side of any one of the particular strands will lie a golden orb. There are no seams or bolts on it anywhere to be seen, it appears to be completely smooth, no evidence of tool marks anywhere to be found.


    From looking at it, it''s design lends no clue to its purpose, unlike most of the other steam technology in Prydain. It is said that the machine comes from the Old Time, from the lost village of science, Fru Alstad, but that is dismissed as folk stories and only the Watchers know for sure. It is unfathomable how such technology exists, how it was constructed, and even how it operates, but its judgment is infallible and is absolute law. This unique and awe-inspiring machine is known as The Fork, the source of its name an equal mystery as the machine''s origin.


    No one outside of the Watchers and named Noble Family members know exactly what the reaction is or what the event looks like, they are the only ones allowed to be present when the this occurs. The mystique of the process is but another way the Nobles keep the rest of the citizenry in awe and wonder of them. The recipient of the Naming has to be present along with their Relic, both at the same time...only then will the great machine activate. As far as how the machine knows that the right person and right item is there...that is a secret only the Watchers and the heads of House who bestow the Names, are a party to.


    Despite now being part of the Oonskat, Alexandra was given a Name, and verified as just a babe in arms. The tattoo that she bears on her back is her Name Relic. Since the tattoo was made using a form of metal, it stands as a durable object, and the tattoo itself is the name of House Benham. Such a way to name someone has never been done, it considered to be cruel. The application of this metal as a tattoo is a pain that cannot be described, and to do so to just a small child is unconscionable. Taken from her mother Heloise''s arms as just an infant by soldiers of House Benham and House Cornelius, Alexandra was tattooed and then immediately brought before the Watchers.


    Despite the horrific nature of the Naming, the Watchers followed the centuries-old protocol and verified her as a named member of House Benham. Upon being returned to her mother, they were both at once officially cast from the house through the process of exile, the only means to strip a Named family member of their authority and position. The exiling and throwing a person down to the Oonskat is a fate almost worse than death in itself, but that was so much more so for Alexandra.


    To be Named, and then to be exiled... it puts an even darker mark on you to society than even the other downtrodden suffer and was obviously their spiteful intent. To have a Family give you their name, and then later to cast you out for whatever reason, it is a deep shame put upon you and makes you the worst of the worst in the eyes of society. Though Alexandra is not ashamed, she knows she did nothing wrong to warrant her banishment, it is still something she hides because of the stigma it carries and presses upon her. Even among her closest friends, her new family, she tries to not let it be seen.


    She had asked her mother repeatedly when she was still in this world why: why had people done such a cruel thing to her. Her mother had only ever said that the hearts of some are wicked and that she must not let that cloud her thoughts or influence who she was, that the tattoo did not define her. Unfortunately, the tattoo and the exiling from House Benham did define her socially.


    Sometimes the Oonskat are given money to do the jobs that the proper citizens do not wish to do, but it is especially hard for Alexandra: a banishment from Noble Houses are always noted by the masses.


    To see someone kicked out from on high down past their own level is always something to gossip about. When Alexandra and her mother, who was not a Named member of House Benham, were exiled, it was certainly the talk of the town for several weeks. Because of this public knowledge of her circumstances, Alexandra has to struggle even harder than the rest of the Oonskat sometimes.


    Because her tattoo is actually made of a metal composite rather than ink, in time, some of it has leeched into her bloodstream and the rest of her body. Due to this dissemination, there is a large degree of muscle degeneration at the shoulder. Also, because it is a metal compound, the tattoo has not allowed the skin, muscles and tissue on that part of her shoulder to grow in pace with her. This causes wrenching pain when her arm is too far extended in any direction or if pressure is applied to the area. Alexandra has to constantly be careful to not strain that part of her body because in all likelihood it would never recover from any damage it sustains. The tattoo hurts from time to time even when she is not moving, but Alexandra does not let on to that, she smiles and hides that pain from her friends.


    It is due to happenstance luck she lived through the process in fact; no one had ever used metal for such a purpose before and never had again after. Also, the fact that Alexandra was Named, verified, and exiled during one night was also a hot topic among the people. It was just so unusual, and no public reasons given. Typically when there is banishment, a public declaration would be made stating that the event occurred and giving the reasons for, so that the Houses come out always looking good. In the case of Alexandra and her mother however, only the statement of the event was made with no follow-up reasoning for the action. People gossiped, people wondered, but after a month or so, public interest turned to other stories and sources of amusement.


    Unlike Alexandra however, Zooey was not a Named member of House Tatiana when she ws banished, she did not have to bear that additional shame. Luca was the same way, as his mother was banished before he was born and thus was born into the Oonskat. Sophia was likewise unnamed. Being adopted and female ensured that would never happen. Adoptions are rare, the Noble Houses want to continue their own bloodlines and adoption does not further that goal. Despite being of no real benefit to a House, adoptions still do happen from time to time. When she was exiled from her House, she fell all the way past her commoner birth and into the lowest class because of it.


    All four of them started off in nobility, and all four are now living in a one-room hovel, shivering under tattered rags against the cold and the night. The vain hope that tomorrow would bring the sun and with it bring better times always proved a disappointment; all the sun ever brought was another day of hunger and misery. They tried not to let it get to them, they all had different attitudes and ways to cope with their situation. They had finally resigned themselves to the fact that they would probably never escape the slums and the lives they were in now.


    However, fate and the twists of time have a peculiar way of breaking apart and reuniting again. As the four slept, as the nation at large slept, those thin threads of what some may call destiny began their weave once more. Though Alexandra could never imagine it, what had started the day she was banished was about to come full-circle and change not only her life, but the lives of everyone in ways they could not imagine.


    Welcome to Prydain, the land of steam, and a nation hurtling towards a reckoning with its past.

 To The Market We Shall Go

    ¡°The Market of the capitol is the greatest soup in all of Prydain. Nobles, Soldiers, Commoners, and even the dispossessed all walk the same stones, and breath the same air and hear the same sounds. Yes sir, the greatest soup, in the greatest pot of them all: Avindr


    ---- quote scrawled on the wall of Mr. Bisthrain''s pub, Market District, Avindr, date unknown


    The high-pitched sound of steam escaping from large smoke stacks in the distance was the morning alarm. As Coal City, the industrial sector of the great city, awoke and started its day, it signaled for the rest of the metropolis to do the same. Alexandra''s eyes reluctantly opened, a bright blur coming slowly into focus. Near her on the floor were her compatriots yawning and stretching the soreness of sleep away. Through the gaps in the ceiling, rays of sunlight streamed through and highlighted portions of the dirt floor. Alexandra did not want to wake, waking up brought the all too familiar hunger pains, the pain all over her body back. An especially loud yawn came from Zooey''s direction as she sprawled out from under her raggedy blankets. Sophia was already sitting up, fastening the two buttons that remained out of four on a faded red shawl she was wearing. Luca was already fully dressed and standing up near the door looking out into the street.


    ¡°Everyone up already huh?¡± Alexandra let another yawn escape as she tried to drag herself up to a sitting position.


    ¡°You looked so peaceful,¡± Sophia fastened the last button, ¡°you were even smiling. We wanted you to sleep for just awhile longer.¡±


    Luca checked the street every morning before they left just to make sure no one was waiting for them in surprise. They had many friends among the Oonskat, just as many enemies as well. Doing good deeds rubs some people the wrong way. ¡°Street looks OK.¡±


    ¡°I hate the Market District,¡± Zooey picked up her dagger from the floor next to her, ¡°just a bunch of housewives shopping and Nobles spending more money then we''ll ever see in our lifetimes.¡±


    ¡°All those people and money,¡± Alexandra brushed mud from feet while wishing she owned a pair of shoes, ¡°someone is for sure going to need work done and they''ll pay for someone else to do it.¡±


    Luca smiled, hoping to lighten the mood. ¡°Hopefully we''ll find some lazy people.¡±


    ¡°Noble''s aren''t lazy,¡± Zooey reminded him, ¡°they just like to see others do their work for them.¡±


    ¡°That''s not fair and you know it,¡± Alexandra chided while running her hands through her hair.


    ¡°I''m ready to go.¡± Sophia raised from her knees, straightening out her skirt, trying to adjust so the tears and holes were in benign spots.


    ¡°I guess me to.¡± Zooey did not want to go but knew she had to, they all had to try to find work so they could eat today.


    The past few weeks had been especially hard and they could not live on the amount of food they had been squirreled away for very much longer.


    ¡°Remember, ¡° Alexandra looked at her friends, ¡°begging for work is not shameful. We want to work and get paid to eat, that''s what everyone does. But don''t do anything that you feel is off. There''s honest work to be found and we just have to do the finding. Even if everyone else doesn''t think we''re people, we are, and we can work just the same as them. We have to eat the same as them after all. And Zooey, no fights please¡±


    ¡°If you insist,¡± shrugged Zooey, ¡°but I''ll have you know that he started it and I only told the fat merchant what I thought.¡±


    ¡°If we avoided all the people you''ve gotten into scraps with, we''d never leave this room¡±


    ¡°Somebody''s got to do it when things get thick¡±


    ¡°I''m always there fighting next to you,¡± Luca protested.


    It¡¯s true that when Zooey did get involved in a dust-up Alexandra would leap in to stop it and Luca would usually leap in to join the fight no matter how outnumbered or out-sized they were.


    ¡°Yeah, but since you''re younger I have do all the heavy lifting pipsqueak.¡± Zooey loved to tease Luca about his age, a sore subject for him.


    ¡°You are right about that fat merchant,¡± Alexandra recalled with a grin. ¡°He did have what was coming to him by a long shot!¡±


    ¡°Vindicated,¡± Zooey threw her hands to the sky in mock rejoicing.


    Luca was already a few steps out the door and down the street. ¡°Are we leaving yet?¡±


    ¡°I think someone is already thinking about dinner,¡± giggled Sophia as she put her shawl over her head and ducked under the cloth flap and outside.


    ¡°All right then.¡± Alexandra stood also, straightening her top. ¡°Market District here we come!¡±


    The Market District was basically a neutral zone in the City for social classes. Everyone had to buy, sell, and trade, and the only real place for that was the Market District. From members of the Noble Houses, to soldiers, to the common peasant, all mingled in the stores of the Market District. Even the Oonskat were present, usually doing manual labor or simply begging on the side of the road.


    The district is large, filled with open-air stalls and stores of all kinds. From armor merchants to food sellers, anything legal could be found in this part of Avindr, and some things illegal as well. It was a known fact that many criminal organizations peddled wears under other guises in the Market District, some of the stores are just fronts for these groups. No proof can ever be found, and the system goes on working, no one wants to rock the boat and upset the peaceful balance the citizens of Avindr enjoy.


    In the past few years there have been more soldiers stationed in the Market District however. Most are at the gateways into the area, keeping tabs on who goes in and out, making sure it does not get over-crowded at any one time. An inconvenience and an annoyance for the people wishing to shop, but it lets them feel even safer knowing there are many soldiers nearby. The Market is a hustle and bustle of activity, thousands go in an out every day. It is the single largest point of economic trade in the entire nation, as well as an important social one.


    With everyone from the nobles down the some of the Oonskat mixing, it was hot bed for gossip, being seen by the public, and small-scale economic deals. It was a chance for peasants to try to meet their idolized nobles, perhaps steal a word with them to brag to their friends, or attempt to sell something to the rich upper-class. The Oonskat are there to try to find lowly work, or food, or to steal money and food. Alexandra and her friends were there to work and earn they lives honestly, but not all, in the fact the majority were not.


    The outcasts, while a common sight in the Market, are still disdained and avoided by most. The soldiers posted around the Market keep most of the Oonskat out these days, despite there being no law to instruct so, they try to keep their numbers minimal so that the rest of the shoppers can feel better. If they had money, some of the merchants would sell to them, but the Oonskat in the Market usually had to find the black-market sellers to try to obtains items or food.


    There were few soldiers inside the actual market zone, the shoppers liked to feel safe but did not like to see armed men during their pleasant afternoon out. Disturbances were few in the Market: everyone, including the criminals, knew that it was a vital part of Avindr and if it became disrupted by any party, all would suffer. The larger criminal organizations rely on the legitimate and illegitimate business they conduct there, so they avoid drawing too much attention to themselves or the ire of the soldiery. The only time problems arise are if a lone low-life steals or robs and is caught or if someone sees an Oonskat that upsets them as has them thrown out for any reason.


    Bright greens and reds from vegetables, fruit, meats help break up the dusty brown colour of the city as merchants from all over Prydain peddle their wares. It is an incredible hodepodge of farmers from the nearby fields outside of Avindr and merchants from towns and villages all over the map. On some days there was even more exotic items for sale: sometimes scavengers from the border of the Distansera would bring items they found, abandoned by adventurers and dug up from the earth. Flower sellers would sometimes come all the way from the northerly Rotsen Mountains, selling highly sought after mountain blooms that did not grow anywhere else. Second-hand item stores were especially popular with the peasants, some stores were expensive enough that only nobles perused them.


    The current hot-ticket item though, and a new favorite novelty among the Nobles, were steam-powered self-walking high-heeled shoes for woman. At the moment, inventors were hard at work adapting the concept into boots for possible military use as it would decrease marching fatigue by almost half.


    It was six fifty-five in the morning when the group, Alexandra in front, arrived at the south-western gate to Market District.


    A soldier stood in the gateway, blocking Alexandra''s path. ¡°No entry.¡±


    ¡°Please sir,¡± Alexandra had to look up to meet the man''s gaze, ¡°we would like to enter the Market.¡±


    ¡°There''s already enough of you dust-breathers in there for everyone''s liking, so why don''t you just take your little friends crawl back into whatever hole you came out of.¡±


    ¡°There''s still plenty of room,¡± Luca peeked past the man into the busy market, ¡°it''s not the busiest it''s been.¡±


    ¡°Look kid,¡± the man stepped closer to Alexandra, ¡°why don''t you take your bunnies and go play.¡±


    ¡°What''d you call us...¡± Zooey was about to reach for her hidden blade when Alexandra spoke up quickly.


    ¡°Sir, we need to get in so we can beg.¡±


    Alexandra was thinking fast. She knew that the guards would like to hear that.


    ¡°Ha ha,¡± the other of the two soldiers let out a laugh, ¡°that''s all your kind is good for.¡±


    The guard in front of Alexandra stepped closer, scratched his chin. ¡°I''ll tell you what, we''ll let you in if you beg me for it. Beg to be let in.¡±


    ¡°We''ll find another way in,¡± Sophia put her hand on Alexandra''s arm as to lead her away.


    ¡°Sorry babe.¡± The guard''s smile was not a kind one. ¡°Closing the rest of the gates in a few minutes. House Cornelius wants regulate foot traffic, keep people in manageable numbers. Only way in is through this gate. Some more soldiers are coming to this gate in a few minutes and I know though they won''t be as nice as me. Door is closing soon. So beg.¡±


    ¡°There''s only two of them,¡± Zooey whispered.


    ¡°They''re soldiers,¡± Alexandra shot back quickly under her breath.


    ¡°Alex...¡± Zooey did not know exactly what to say except ¡°don''t.¡±


    Luca could not bear to see what was about to happen. ¡°We''ll find some work elsewhere, it''s not worth it¡±


    ¡°Sir,¡± Alexandra swallowed, choosing her words very carefully. ¡°We need to get in so we can beg it''s true, but we also are dying to maybe see a Noble. They''re so spectacular in their robes and jewels. It''s...it''s more than we could ever hope to see. We just want to see them, see them and bow to them.¡±


    ¡°So, you know your place then do you beggar girl¡± the guard said ponderously, his smike growing sickeningly wider. ¡°It''s rare to see an Oonskat with any sense to them.¡±


    ¡°Yes, indeed. Most of us can barely even speak properly. It''s no less then we deserve for being who we are,¡± Alexandra murmured, keeping her eyes focused on the ground right at the guards feet.


    ¡°OK, you''re talking a good game but I''m still not convinced.¡± The guard was still blocking their path.


    ¡°Alexandra!¡± Zooey said forcefully, ¡°what...¡±


    ¡°Quiet girl or I''ll end you.¡± The second guard flipped a switch on the handle of his sword.


    The distinctive sound of gears clicking was audible; a small hiss of steam escaping from a pipe running down the length of the hilt.


    Alexandra slowly got down on her knees and leaned her head forward.


    ¡°Oh sir, who will carry the bags and boxes of the shoppers if we cannot enter. Surely there cannot be enough Oonskat in the Market to serve all the nobles and commoners. Do we want them to carry their own belongings? It''s below them, it''s a shame if it has to happen. Let us in and we can serve them, we can do the work we''re meant for.¡±


    She stayed kneeling, she knew she had to be subservient to the guard or else they would be in a world of trouble, more than they could handle. Some soldiers loved the fact that they were above the commoner folk, it made them feel special. They especially like lording their power over the Oonskat, a fact Alexandra knew and sought to exploit.


    ¡°Ha ha!¡± the guard let out a bellow. ¡°Finally, someone who knows to respect their betters! Get in before I change my mind. I''ll look forward to kicking you out in a bit anyway as soon as you look at a commoner the wrong way.¡±


    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    Alexandra carefully stood upright and again and made sure to avoid eye contact with the guards as her and her friends slipped past. They stayed silent until they were safely inside the Market District and we out of sight in the always-moving crowd.


    ¡°I can''t believe you talked our way in.¡± Sophia came up next to Alexandra as she stopped at a puddle on the ground in front of them.


    ¡°I was just lucky that he was arrogant enough.¡± Alexandra leaned down to cup some water with her hands, splashing it on her face. ¡°A little flattery in the right place goes a long way.¡±


    She managed to smile for the sake of the others.


    ¡°Alexandra, what if the guard got angry, it was dangerous! He could have...¡± Luca started to say but Alexandra cut him off.


    ¡°Look, never resort to violence first Luca, everyone''s reasonable somewhere. You just have to find the right way in. Yeah, it was a little embarrassing to act like mouse before a swine but embarrassment I can get over pretty quickly, a hungry feeling is a little harder to handle.¡±


    ¡°You''re unstoppable,¡± Zooey now finally smiled as well. ¡°I can''t believe you did that; were able to stomach saying all that. I would''ve hit him.¡±


    ¡°And that''s why I do the talking, remember?¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah,¡± nodded Zooey, ¡°that''s why.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn''t have been able to think of anything to say.¡± Luca was trying to imagine in his mind what he would have done if their places had been different.


    ¡°Yeah, but you would have had a harder time maybe, the guard probably would have thought I was prettier than you.¡± Alexandra hit him gently on the arm.


    ¡°Maybe try some lipstick next time!¡± Zooey hit him a little harder on the opposite arm as she let out a laugh.


    Sophia was looking to the sea of people now flowing all around them. ¡°So many people today.¡±


    ¡°We''re far enough inside now,¡± Alexandra quickly got her bearings. ¡°Let''s split up and look for some work.¡±


    ¡°I''ll head over near the food shops,¡± Zooey took off waving as she darted away.


    Luca headed the opposite direction, holding his hands up in defeat. ¡°Typical.¡±


    ¡°Stay away from the fat one!¡± Alexandra called after Zooey, who was quickly disappearing from view. She turned to the last remaining member of their group still next to her. ¡°Where are you going to try your luck today?¡±


    ¡°Near the flower sellers,¡± Sophia took the shawl off the top of her head, ¡°at least I''ll be able to look at something nice. Maybe they''ll have one of those mountain flowers, I do so love the blue colour they have¡±


    ¡°We''ll meet back outside the gate at sundown!¡± Alexandra hoping the quickly departing Zooey and Luca could hear.


    ¡°Got it. Good luck Alexandra,¡± Sophia''s smile was radiant as she turned to begin the long walk across the Market District to where the flower vendors usually were.


    ¡°OK,¡± Alexandra sighed and looked around. ¡°If I were honest to goodness work, where would I be hiding?¡±


    The glint of sunlight reflecting on a silver sword hilt is what caught Luca''s eye. The gears on the handle were even ornately engraved and the steam pipes running along the length of the sword were beautifully curved. One of the newest long sword designs, it cost more than Luca had ever had even thought of existed in this world. The vendor was busy trying to sell a set of daggers to a tailor and complaining about recently levied taxes and travel restrictions with another merchant to shoo Luca away at the moment. In hushed tones, he bemoaned that House Cornelius pushed through these new regulations that would never have passed the Landskyp when House Archdeacon was still around.


    All those matters very far above Luca''s head, he focused his eyes on the beautiful weaponry before him. The only weapon Luca carried was a small rusty knife he had found years ago when he was first sent to the slums. He dreamed of carrying a blade like the one he was admiring one day: it was a blade of distinction, of honor, of courage. Luca thought to himself that with a sword like that he could stand up to people, protect his friends.


    He considered for a moment about trying to steal the blade, but then the disappointed look that Alexandra would give him afterwords dissuaded him from that course of action. He shook his head, ashamed that he had even thought about stealing it in the first place. He may be put in with the criminals but he refused to be one.


    ¡°Hey!¡± the vendor had finally spotted Luca. ¡°Get moving! Stop wasting space!¡±


    Luca frowned, he was upset at the treament, but knew that if he protested the soldiers would come and throw him out. Instead, he nodded and back away from stall, refusing to turn his back on the abrasive merchant who was still yelling unkind words regarding Luca and the Oonskat in general. Distancing himself from the source of slurs, he began looking anew for opportunities to work. It could be anything from delivering messages to carrying boxes for a merchant, or bags for a generous spender. It was almost seven thirty and he had a long day ahead of him.


    Sophia was smelling a sweet bright orange flower, her eyes closed in a rapturous moment of peace. The flower seller at this particular stall, a kind middle-aged woman who hailed from a village a little south of the Rotsen Mountains, was always kind to her. She never chased her away just because she never bought anything, she even sometimes gave Sophia a flower if it was about to wither and she could not sell it.


    This was Sophia''s favorite place in the market, the sights and smells of the flowers truly brightened up her entire day and she looked forward to visiting this stall each time. She would delay as long as she could there before she continued looking for ways to earn some pennies. Sometimes she would work here, moving crates, re-arranging the displayed flowers. It was not often that she was allowed to touch or arrange the display, only when there was not a crowd nearby. It was a simple fact that people would not buy flowers they knew an Oonskat had touched.


    ¡°You!¡± A disgusted woman''s voice suddenly hissed.


    Sophia pulled back with a jerk and looked around for the angry voice. A woman dressed in a very fine and expensive silk dress standing in front of the stall next to her was staring at her.


    This woman was someone Sophia knew: she was Alicious Beleskey, a member of House Bradana. Alicious was several years older than Sophia and they had played together when they were both younger and Sophia was a part of that Noble House. She had not seen Alicious since her sudden and unfair banishment from the prideful House. In eyes that used to see Sophia with joy and laughter now only conveyed disgust and anger.


    ¡°Hello Alicious,¡± Sophia found it hard to keep eye contact. "You look lovely..."


    ¡°Keep your thoughts to yourself traitor!¡± The young woman spat back with such venom that Sophia took a step back and cast her eyes to the ground. ¡°Look at you...finally where you belong!¡±


    ¡°Alicious, I...¡± Sophia fought to get the words out but was cut off by the angry Ms. Beleskey.


    ¡°We took you in. A peasant. A no one! We gave you everything you never deserved and look what you did to repay that: you embarrassed us! I called you my friend, we shared dresses. The thought of that now turns my stomach.¡±


    Sophia flinched, the words from her former best friend hitting her like direct punches to the gut.


    ¡°I want you to know that after we sent you away we had everything you owned burned. All the toys you played with and all the clothes you wore. It took a long time to cleanse the Bradana House from you and your commoner stench.¡±


    Sophia was still looking at the ground, unable to lift her eyes while the hate-filled stare of Alicious bore through her. ¡°I... I never did anything to...¡±


    Her attempts to explain the truth met an immovable wall. ¡°Get away from me! Clear out before I call the soldiers to kick you out of here beggar! Go on! Leave!¡±


    Sophia turned and ran full-tilt away from the raging Alicious, tears blurring her vision. She ran and ran until she ducked behind a store and fell against the wall sobbing. She slid down the stone wall until she was sitting in the dirt, tears still freely flowing. Sophia remained there a good awhile, until she could be sure that Alicious had left the area.


    Today the flowers had been ruined, that small joy taken from her by a member of a house that had already taken everything from her. She was not sure how much time had past when she began wiping the last drops from her eyes. Sophia stood and patted the dirt from her knees and skirt. Breathing deeply to calm her heart, she stepped back out into the Market in the pursuit for paying work.


    Zooey meanwhile had already had some small luck: she had happened upon a farmer moving heavy boxes from a close-by warehouse to his stall. Apparently his usual helpers had had a long night at the tavern and had never showed. For a few pennies, Zooey moved the boxes for the farmer while he finished setting up his stall. As she worked, she could overhear the merchant talking with a passer-by


    ¡°...and they actually believe that crazy stuff up there!¡± the merchant seemed amused.


    ¡°Bunch of weird folk. Probably from living too close to the Mountains. It messes with your mind y''know,¡± the other was agreeing.


    ¡°Yeah, but they say a lot of people in the north believe in magic.¡±


    ¡°Northern superstitions,¡± the customer dismissed the notion with a chuckle. ¡°No place in our rational world for such nonsense.¡±


    When she was done, she stood for a moment bent over, hands on her knees, panting, sweat dripping down. The farmer tossed five pennies on the ground in front of her and kept hawking his wares. No ''thank you'', but that was more than an Oonskat could expect. Zooey reached down and collected them. She was lucky to get as much as five pennies, the farmer must have been very thankful for her assistance all things considered.


    ¡°Are you OK?¡± Zooey''s reverie was interrupted by a young voice coming from behind her.


    A little girl in a ripped sackcloth dress was standing in front of her, gripping what was probably once a teddy bear, now only half of a head and some hanging strings.


    ¡°I''m good,¡± she nodded, ¡°who are you?¡±


    ¡°I''m Lavi.¡± answered the little girl. ¡°I''m six.¡±


    Zooey glanced around the immediate area.


    ¡°Where''s your mom? You shouldn''t be alone in the big Market by yourself, you could get lost.¡±


    ¡°She''s begging for food,¡± the girl touched a hand to her stomach. ¡°We''ve missed dinner a lot.¡±


    ¡°Are you an Oonskat?¡±


    ¡°Mom says we are. She seems sad whenever someone calls her that. I think it might be a bad word.¡±


    ¡°Don''t ever feel bad about what someone calls you.¡± Zooey worked to appear as upbeat as possible, trying to believe the words she was telling the kid.


    Truth be told, every time Zooey heard the word herself, she burned with anger. It reminded her of her unfair lot in life. It reminded her that people no better than her were considered so. It reminded her of the hopelessness her life was faced with.


    Zooey glanced down at the pennies she was gripping in her hand and then back to the girl. Maybe it was Alexandra and all of her optimism and big heart, maybe some of it had rubbed off on her. A few years ago she would have pushed the kid to the side and kept walking, her hard-earned money in her hand. Back then she was just concerned with looking out for herself. Now, she knew her conscious would not let her do that..


    Zooey stood up, hands on her hips. ¡°Look, I need some of this money because my friends are hungry too. But hey, I passed a stall a ways back that had biscuits for three pennies. C''mon, my treat.¡±


    The Market District was so huge that the four friends did not bump into each other for the whole day until it was time to meet back up. The sun was beginning to set behind the tallest buildings and smoke stacks; the stores were closing up. Soon the Market would be deserted for the night and the soldiers would eject them back to the slums. Alexandra walked quickly out of the gate past the soldiers standing there to meet up with the others. Zooey and Luca were already waiting for her in the middle of the street across from the Market gate.


    The pair of them were clutching tightly to the pennies they had earned during the long and humiliating day. Alexandra had her own pennies in one hand, and some groceries she had managed to buy in the other. It was difficult to find a merchant who would sell to her, but among the hundreds of sellers, someone could always be found. She had managed to afford some stale tomatoes, only slightly moldy-bread, and some milk only a couple of days past expiration. She skipped a little as she came up to her friends, it had been a very long and grueling day but now it was over and she was carrying the rewards for her labor. In the distance, the sound of industry from Coal City slowly grew quieter and quieter as one by one, the factories shut down the evening.


    ¡°Hey Alex!¡± Zooey called out to her as she approached.


    ¡°Hi Alexandra.¡± Luca never used the shortened version of her name, he thought it was too beautiful to cut short.


    Zooey had already spied the cloth bags Alexandra had swinging at her side. ¡°What do you have there?¡±


    ¡°Just some stuff,¡± Alexandra smiled, thinking about the food they were going to enjoy. ¡°If we''re not too greedy, we can make this last a week, maybe even two!¡±


    ¡°And you got milk!¡± Luca peeked down into the bag Alexandra was carrying as she came up to stand with the two of them.


    ¡°And it''s only a few days past.¡± Alexandra was quite proud of this particular find.


    Zooey was already scheming about how to make more money with their new treasure. ¡°If there''s any we don''t drink we could sell.¡±


    ¡°Wow, thinking like a true businesswoman. How refreshingly unlike you.¡±


    ¡°Oh be quiet Alex,¡± Zooey feigned hurt feelings. ¡°I got quite the brain. Milk''s like gold where we live. If we sell most of it, we''ll triple our money. After that we can buy more food and then eat it!¡±


    ¡°Ah, smart when food''s involved,¡± Luca rolled his eyes. ¡°Makes sense¡±


    ¡°How did you two do?¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Luca was a little disappointed in his take but had not been idle. ¡°I have thirteen all together. I first carried bags for a noblewoman, House Dorsey I think. I dragged her bags around as she bought new clothes, new appliances. After a few hours she gave me a few pennies once her servants arrived to take the things back to their city estate. After that I walked around a bit until I helped a merchant stock his supplies, he of course watched me every move I made.. I guess he was surprised I didn''t steal anything and he gave me a handful of pennies as well. Some odds and ends after that, but just a few more coins.¡±


    Alexandra put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. ¡°That''s really good, you did a great job. Those thirteen pennies are fortune.¡±


    ¡°I got seventeen for my part,¡± Zooey proudly declared, not to be outdone. ¡°I helped move boxes for a good part of the morning. Then I spent some time doing some honest begging and that netted a few more coins. Some manual labor here and there, some more begging, and here we are: seventeen coins.¡±


    She left out the part about helping the little girl, she knew Alexandra would approve and be proud of her but she did not want to look as soft as she actually was on the inside. Random acts of kindness were something Alexandra got them into on a an annoyingly regular basis but they were not something Zooey usually undertook on her own.


    ¡°About the same for me,¡± Alexandra''s adventures for the day echoed her two friends for the most part. ¡°Twenty-six pennies¡±


    ¡°Wow!¡± Luca''s eyes went wide, ¡°that''s so much! How did you get so much?¡±


    ¡°You know her,¡± Zooey did not like to be beaten and was actually sulking a little, ¡°she''s good at talking. She probably did some work and then sweet-talked whoever she did it for to give her a lot more than they originally were going to.¡±


    ¡°Yeah sure,¡± all Alexandra could do was shrug, ¡°something along those lines¡±


    ¡°Little swindler. Yeah, she looks fine, but her words will rob you blind and you won''t even know it.¡± Zooey was acting haughty but actually she was proud of her quick-witted friend.


    ¡°That''s not nice,¡± Luca was laughing now too.


    ¡°We made a good haul today,¡± yawned Zooey, ¡°it''s time to hit the hay, quite literally.¡±


    Alexandra paused, something wasn''t right. She stood there not moving.


    ¡°Wait a moment,¡± she looked to both her friends gathered around her. ¡°Where''s Sophia?¡±


    Both started at the sudden realization that their fourth party member was absent.


    ¡°We...thought she was with you...¡± Zooey stammered, panic noticeably rising in her voice.


    ¡°But where?!¡± Luca frantically looked up and down the street.


    Alexandra looked back at the gate, now blocked by yawning soldiers.¡°Maybe she''s still in the market?¡±


    Something had caught Luca''s keen eyes just a little ways off.


    ¡°Look over there!¡± Luca was pointing down a nearby alleyway.


    A red shawl, just the same as Sophia''s, was caught on a broken fence and fluttering in the soft evening breeze. The three ran over and Alexandra plucked it off of the decayed wood, fingers trembling.


    ¡°Definitely Sophia''s,¡± she held it close, her hands trembling.


    ¡°Where can that girl be?!¡± Zooey searched the street and stared keenly at all the darkened windows around.


    ¡°Maybe she just lost it heading home, maybe...¡± Luca was deathly afraid and trying to avoid the obvious.


    ¡°She wouldn''t. Something bad happened.¡± A cold, terrible feeling was creeping up Alexandra''s spine.


    Zooey noted the fence that had very recently been kicked in. She bent down to inspect the many shoe marks in the dust around where they found the shawl. Her eyes narrowed. ¡°It looks like there was a struggle here of some kind.¡±


    ¡°They''ve got her. This alley only leads one place.¡± Alexandra slowly turned her head towards the quiet alley, shrouded in deepening shadows. ¡°The Dark District.¡±

 The Guity Lady

    ¡°No!¡± Zooey stamped her foot on the ground, a small dust cloud emitting from the impact.


    ¡°Sophia...¡± Luca was shaking.


    ¡°What!?¡± Zooey was in disbelief. ¡°There had to be people here, she wouldn''t just go with them! Why didn''t anyone help her?! Why didn''t anyone help?!¡±


    ¡°They don''t care.¡± Luca sniffled back the tears, ¡°we''re nothing to them.¡±


    ¡°They probably watched the spectacle and laughed! A good evening show for them! Damn them!¡±


    ¡°Alexandra,¡± Luca tugged on her sleeve, ¡°what, what do you think is happening to her, do you think...¡±


    ¡°No, and don''t you think about it either,¡± she said firmly. ¡°Sophia''s all right, I just know it. She''s just waiting for us to come get her.¡±


    ¡°We can''t go in there,¡± Zooey was now peering at the darkness down the alley, ¡°you know where that leads. We''ll never get out again.¡±


    It took a whole lot to make Zooey hesitate.


    ¡°We have to try!¡± Luca was shoving back his own fear and was trying to be as determined as he humanly could.


    ¡°They''ll take us too! The creatures that live in there!¡± Zooey never showed her fear of anything, but the Dark District and the evil people that lived there is the one thing in her life she was deathly afraid of.


    ¡°She''s got no one else but us,¡± Alexandra too was trying to fight a rising feeling of fear, ¡°she''s in there all alone and we''re the only people who care.¡±


    ¡°There are soldiers nearby,¡± Zooey looked around desperately for any alternative plan, ¡°maybe they can...¡±


    ¡°They won''t.¡± Alexandra wasn''t taking her eyes off of the alley, ¡°they''d just be happy another one of us is out of their sigh.t¡±


    Luca nodded, ¡°Alexandra''s right, there''s no one who would lift a finger. It''s up to us to rescue her from whatever put they''ve dragged her down into.¡±


    ¡°But...we won''t get out,¡± whispered Zooey, her voice trembling.


    ¡°And neither will she if we don''t try.¡±


    The truth in Alexandra''s word shamed Zooey. She was afraid of things in her life but she always projected the tough image and overcame her fears through sheer force of will. The Dark District is the one place she had trained herself to fear, to avoid, to wish away from her dreams. Now they were intending to walk straight, just as the sun was going down. It sounded like the worst possible plan, but it was the only one they had. Sophia could not wait, and no help was coming. Even during the day, the Dark District was an evil place, at night it was unimaginable. Zooey swallowed, hoping her fear went down with her saliva.


    ¡°Right, OK.¡± She pulled her blade, ¡°let''s not stand around waiting, we need to make suire Sophia''s home for dinner¡±


    ¡°She''ll be so happy to see we have milk,¡± Luca was trying to pretend that Sophia was all right and nothing bad was being done to her at that very moment. ¡°She won''t know what to say.¡±


    ¡°She''ll share hers and make sure we have enough, goody-two-shoes,¡± Zooey''s usual swagger was back, albeit mostly forced.


    ¡°Everyone stay close,¡± Alexandra picked up a piece of metal debris lying on the street, wiping the accumulated dirt from it, ¡°this is going to be rough.¡±


    Alexandra in front, Zooey right behind her, and then Luca bringing up the rear, they began cautiously down the alleyway towards the dark. The further and further they went down the path, the more oppressive it felt. The streetlights becoming an infrequent sight while the sounds of the city behind died away to only be replaced by worse. Instead of the usual activity of the city, such as the sounds of carriages, people happily chatting, or even the typical night sounds of the slums, it was all different in the Dark District. Machines clanked away from the dark recesses of lost streets and blackened buildings, their purposes unknown. Luca and Zooey walked in closer to Alexandra, occasional screams piercing the night air, sending cold shivers down their collective spines.


    Their eyes slowly adjusted to the lower light levels, even the stars in the partially-cloudy skies above seemed remiss in sending their light to such a place as this. Red lights from dilapidated third-story windows glared down on the broken streets, bonfires dotting the side streets with shadowy figures around them and just inside the darkened windows all around.


    The Dark District was certainly not abandoned, it was a very active place. All the activity however was criminal in nature, things better left hidden and kept out of the light of day. Shops were open on the sides of the streets as the three of them huddled close, stolen and illegal wares on offer. Smoke rose from chimneys and other small smokestacks dotting the immediate horizon. Standing in the middle of the street, Alexandra with her two-foot metal pipe before her, Zooey''s blade drawn close, and Luca with his knife ready to swing, stood and surveyed the Dark District for the first time. They had seen it at a distance, a mass of coal-stained buildings and fog; it was a place so close to their home but a place they had never even seen with their own eyes. Despite not being attacked as soon as they entered as they were kind of expecting, they stood ready to fight anything that came close.


    People crossed along both sides of the streets, men and woman, faces unseen in the night going about their hidden business. Occasional sword hits were heard ringing out of the maze of back alleys but no one came up and challenged them. They saw what look like a tavern, the sign out front half-missing and faded, but people were constantly going in and others stumbling out obviously drunk. It surprised them, this place acted like its own self-contained world totally away from the eyes and knowledge of the city that surrounded it on all sides.


    ¡°Well, we''re not dead yet,¡± Zooey tried to find a bright spot.


    ¡°I can''t believe this place,¡± Luca said amazed, ¡°all the business, all the people. I can¡¯t believe all this goes on in here.¡±


    ¡°Evil people are a world to themselves.¡± Alexandra knew they were still in danger, anything could happen at any moment. ¡°Makes sense for them to have their own mini-city in which to do it.¡±


    ¡°I can barely see the stacks from Coal City,¡± Zooey pointed at the sky in front of them, ¡°all these buildings are obscuring them. It''s like the rest of the city doesn''t even exist from here!¡±


    ¡°Just remember how easy it is to get ''lost'' in here, we need to make sure we know how to get out of this District once we find Sophia.¡±


    ¡°Look at this!¡± Luca had wandered over to a storefront on the right side of the road.


    ¡°Luca!¡± Alexandra hurried to him, nervously glancing around lest they be accosted from the shadows that lingered all around..


    ¡°Don''t step away from us!¡± Zooey scolded him, coming up to the storefront in a flash.


    ¡°I''m sorry,¡± he knew he had messed up. ¡°But look at all these things this store is selling. There''s nothing like these in the Market District!¡±


    Luca was correct in his assessment of the store''s wares, items the like of which they had never seen before. Clothing risqu¨¦ enough to make all three of them blush, nasty-looking swords, poison vials, and other assorted items. He picked up one such item that appeared to be a small tube eight inches in length with a single button where the holder''s hand rests.


    ¡°Careful with that!¡± a gravel-course voice called out from the back of the shop.


    ¡°Who''s there!¡± Zooey''s blade was up in an instant.


    ¡°The proprietor of course! Put your weapon away, I''m too old to try anything with you lovelies,¡± the man limped to front of the store, scars on his face with more than a few teeth missing from his toothy grin.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Luca worked up the courage to ask, his curiosity getting the better of his fear.


    ¡°It''s a whip,¡± cackled the shopkeeper, ¡°go on, press the button.¡±


    Luca thought about it for a moment, pointed the tube away from everyone and pressed the button. A small puff of steam shot out the back end while suddenly, almost too fast for the eye to see, a piece of rope flung out of the opposite end. It reached ten feet, maybe more before flying backwards into the tube like it had never happened. Luca stumbled back, surprised at what had just happened. He quickly replaced the item on the display.


    ¡°It''s a wicked thing. I''m not surprised to find it here though.¡± Alexandra did not like it one bit.


    ¡°It''s not from here,¡± the man laughed, ¡°no, not by a long shot¡±


    ¡°Where would such a horrible thing come from?¡± Zooey had never seen the like.


    ¡°He he, got that from an inside job you know. Just cause I''m from the Dark District doesn''t mean I don''t have friends, patrons in lighter and higher places. Well, some of these friends might work in the College and some early production models missed being shipped out...made their way down here to some of us fine retailers. ¡±


    ¡°Are you telling me this came from the College?!¡± Alexandra didn''t believe it.


    The College was a venerable institution of Prydain, a gathering place of the greatest minds and inventors of the nation. They were charged with improving the lives of the citizens through research and inventions, to explore the unknowns of the world. To walk the halls of the College was to be experience the cutting edge of knowledge and technology.


    ¡°Not like we see any of that,¡± Zooey interjected under her breath.


    Alexandra brushed away the comment, ¡°no one would let them make something like this! It''s awful!¡±


    ¡°Believe what you want baby,¡± the man scratched his patchy bread, ¡°the fine minds up in the upper-class district made this painful piece of work. A lot of my great stuff ''finds'' it''s way here from the College,¡± the man turned to the rest of the store and picked up another cylindrical object with holes on both ends.


    ¡°What''s that?¡± Luca was morbidly curious.


    ¡°Say you have a prisoner, you put a finger of their hand in one hole,¡± he turned the tube so they could see the opening, ¡°and then a finger from their other hand in the other side. Once both are in, if they attempt to remove the fingers, blades slide down inside the tube and, well, chop chop.¡±


    ¡°That''s terrible!¡± Alexandra''s nose crinkled.


    ¡°We''re all low-life scum down here,¡± the seller said rather introspectively yet proudly, ¡°only bright minds up at the College could design such ingenious devices. Of course you won''t see them in the fancy shops in the Market District, ordinary folks don''t need to know their country is making these things. They just end up in the hands of the people they were made for, and us enterprising types who pass it on the discerning consumer.¡±


    Luca felt a rock in his gut. ¡°Who are these made for?¡±


    ¡°Oh now, you can''t expect me, a lowly Dark District store owner to know such secret things. I just pass along the items I, eh, ''acquire'' on to these people who want them and can pay¡±


    ¡°Let''s go Luca,¡± Zooey pushed him gently away from the storefront.


    ¡°Now, what would you three be doing in these parts?¡± the merchant frowned, ¡°I can tell you''re not from around here: not completely covered in slime like the rest of us.¡±


    ¡°Just visiting,¡± Zooey tried to move them on, hoping to leave this whole instance behind as quickly as she could drag them along.


    ¡°We''re looking for The Guilty Lady, the... gentleman''s club,¡± Alexandra answered honestly.


    ¡°Gentleman''s club! Whooee!¡± the man almost fell down laughing, ¡°of course I know what it is. It''s just the biggest business here in this District. All roads here lead to there.¡±


    ¡°Very philosophical,¡± came the sarcastic crack from Zooey, her disgust of this man growing more with each word her spoke..


    ¡°It''s in the center of the District. Now, why would such innocent creatures like yourselves be wanting to go there? Maybe you lookin'' for work, or maybe you lookin'' for some fun. Into some freaky stuff huh?¡± He licked his lips, looking all up and down Alexandra and Zooey. ¡°You''ll find it all there.¡±


    ¡°And how might we get there?¡± Alexandra could tell that the man would tell them anything she asked, his mind was currently preoccupied with the most salacious of thoughts and was determined to take advantage of it.


    Luca stepped forward, putting himself more in between the shopkeeper and the girls, he did not like anyone looking at them that way.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah,¡± the shopkeeper motioned down a large street that the road they were on branched onto. ¡°Just keep going there and you reach the center, The Guilty Lady.¡±


    ¡°Thank you sir,¡± Alexandra smiled at him and hurried her companions on.


    ¡°Have fun!¡± the man called after them as he leaned out of the shop window, ¡°great view!¡±


    ¡°Disgusting old man,¡± Zooey consciously pulled down the fabric she called a skirt down a little farther.


    ¡°At least he didn''t attack us,¡± Luca''s knife was back in his hand.


    ¡°He was pretty helpful,¡± Alexandra reminded them, ¡°now at least we know where we''re going.¡±


    ¡°Did you hear what he said though?¡± Zooey was worried again, ¡°the center? We''re going into the heart of the Dark District. It might never let us back out again.¡±


    Zooey hoped that the action of walking hid how much her legs were shaking, her knuckles white as she gripped her dagger.


    ¡°I won''t let anything bad happen,¡± Luca resolved.


    ¡°Nothing bad will happen,¡± Alexandra assured them, also herself. ¡°So far we''re doing okay. We''ve met a creepy yet helpful merchant and figured out where we need to go. If we just stay focused, we''ll get through this and we''ll have Sophia back with us soon.¡±


    ¡°I wish I could think like you,¡± Zooey''s held the dagger out a bit in front of her, ¡°it sure would be nice.¡±


    ¡°I''m still scared,¡± she admitted, ¡°but I''m confident if we stay true to our course then we will succeed.¡±


    ¡°Succeed at what?¡± challenged Zooey, her nerves frayed more than maybe she event realized. ¡°Even if we get out of here, it''s just back to the slums, back to hunger and begging!¡±


    ¡°We''ll deal with those problems when we come to them, and we will overcome them because we''ll be together.¡±


    ¡°I''m with you Alexandra,¡± Luca agreed.


    ¡°Outnumbered huh,¡± Zooey took a deep breath, trying to get her head back in the game. ¡°Okay, I''m with you guys then too.¡±


    ¡°Glad to have you along,¡± Luca glanced at her, ribbing her with his elbow


    ¡°Happy to be wanted,¡± she flashed a reckless smile, adjusting the grip on her dagger.


    ¡°See,¡± Alexandra was glad that everyone''s spirits were back up albeit a little, ¡°everything''s going to be all right.¡±


    They continued their slow and guarded walk down the large street towards the center of the Dark District. There was great activity in the alleys and behind the soot-covered windows, nothing distinctive though. The same eerie sounds they were hearing earlier were only magnified the farther in they went. The streets were mostly bathed in red lights now, what could escape through the soot that seemed to cover everything.


    They passed several more taverns, drunken bar fights seemed to be occurring in most of them. They passed several food stalls but dared not approach, the rotten smell coming from the food was enough for them to keep their distance. Once or twice people would come close but Zooey''s blade kept them at a few paces. The buildings passing by on either side of the road grew darker and more imposing, they seemed to be built closer and closer together. A feeling of claustrophobia was quickly setting in.


    Stepping gingerly to avoid foul-smelling puddles in the street among the old cobblestone, they had left the rest of the civilized city far behind. Compared to where they were now, the slums they had lived in seemed a veritable utopia. Zooey had never thought she would miss their one-room shack, but now that is the only place she wanted to be. She yearned for the familiar gangs and people of the slums, the familiar buildings, streets, and even the familiar dangers.


    Alexandra was keenly aware of many eyes upon them from the shadows. ¡°I think we¡¯re getting close.¡±


    ¡°Why don''t you think anyone''s really bothered us?¡± Luca was puzzled, he thought for sure they would have been set upon by unscrupulous Dark District gangs by now.


    ¡°Because we''re intimidating?¡± Zooey hoped that was the answer and nothing more.


    ¡°We''re new,¡± Alexandra had already worked it out, ¡°they''re seeing what we''re doing here, trying to figure us out. The sooner we leave, the better.¡±


    As if to punctuate her theory, a shrill voice suddenly echoed all around them.


    ¡°You!¡±


    All three raised their weapons and huddled back-to-back. Alexandra''s eyes darted all around, shapes moved in the darkness that permeated everywhere here. She desperately searched for the source of the loud noise.


    A large woman with bouncing curly hair came from the shadows, her many mis-matched petticoats fluttering all around her.


    ¡°C''mon!¡± she grabbed Alexandra by the hand before she could protest and dragged her back into the shadows on the side of the road in a small alley between two rotted houses.


    ¡°Let her go!¡± Zooey roared, blade raising as she rushed after them, Luca just a step behind.


    Alexandra did not know what was happening, one moment she was in the street, the next she was next to a large woman and a man who was leaning against the stone wall.


    ¡°Let her go!¡± Zooey screamed again as she came careening into the small space, her blade pointed at the woman.


    ¡°I got this one!¡± Luca jumped in, holding his own knife towards the man.


    For a moment, no one moved.


    ¡°Are you okay?!¡± Zooey''s worry was evident in her voice, catching her breath.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, I''m fine, I think.¡± Alexandra was confused, turning her attention to the man. ¡°What do you want?


    He was wearing a long black overcoat, oily unkempt hair sticking out in every direction from the top of his slightly-balding head. Covered in dirt, he took a long breath before speaking.


    ¡°You three look a little lost,¡± his voice was slow and gravelly.


    ¡°Not really,¡± Zooey defiantly replied, ¡°we know exactly where we''re going.¡±


    ¡°No, lost in here,¡± he put his fingers to his head, ¡°struggling. Life is bad. I can help with that.¡±


    ¡°Nope,¡± Alexandra figured out what he was selling, ¡°no thank you at all.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± the scraggly man pulled a small leather pouch from his coat, ¡°a little of this makes even living in a place like this a heaven. A little of this and up in your head you can be anyone.¡±


    ¡°We''re not dusters,¡± Luca referred to the drug by the term it''s users were colloquially called.


    ¡°It''s not so bad,¡± the man''s continued undeterred. ¡°Red Sand can cure anything you''re feeling, it makes all the bad feelings go away.¡±


    ¡°No thanks.¡± Alexandra''s rejection was level and firm. She then turned to the woman who was looking at the ground. ¡°You don''t have to do this. You don''t have to work for him.¡±


    ¡°I don''t get any if I don''ts,¡± she said quietly, eyes still downcast, the weakness of her voice at odds with the show of strength before when she had pulled Alexandra into the alleyway.


    ¡°You don''t need that stuff,¡± Alexandra reasoned with her as Zooey and Luca kept their weapons trained on the dealer, ¡°you can get out here. Stop letting that stuff wreck you. Sure it takes away the hurt for a little while, but when it''s gone, the hurt comes back even worse.


    The man scowled. ¡°Hey now, don''t go and...¡±


    The raising of Zooey''s blade let him know it was the time to be quiet.


    Alexandra ignored him. ¡°You know this, you''ve lived it, you know that this isn''t the answer. You don''t need this guy, you don''t need any of it. Just get out of this District, the slums are better than this. I can tell you have a big heart, but it''s gotten clouded, you can change the way you are now and get back to the bright person I can tell you once were.¡±


    Alexandra had a gift for understanding people, almost seeing into them. Zooey called it creepy but in reality she admired the trait. She also had an even greater gift with words.


    ¡°People can''t change,¡± the woman wiped large tears away.


    ¡°I don''t believe that,¡± Alexandra told her firmly as they slowly back-stepped out of the alleyway, ¡°you can, and I know you will.¡±


    It was a few moments of silence as they continued there way towards the center of the District.


    ¡°Everyone here is crazy,¡± Zooey shook her head, ¡°this place isn''t real.¡±


    ¡°I feel gross being here.¡± Luca wiped some accumulated soot off his clothes.


    Alexandra had stopped walking in the middle of the street, hey eyes staring straight ahead of them.


    ¡°What? What is it?¡± Zooey came up next to her.


    ¡°I think we''re here,¡± Alexandra motioned ahead with her improvised weapon.


    There it was, in all it''s reprehensible glory


    Luca gulped. ¡°That''s big.¡±


    ¡°Oh wow,¡± Zooey craned her neck upwards to see the top.


    The street in front of them dead-ended into a large triangle shaped four-story building. The outside was lit by bright red and purple lights festooned on the pathway to the building and up along the outside walls as well. It was the most brightly-lit structure they had seen since they had left the regular city behind.


    One of the triangle points was the front of the building, two large wooden doors up a small set of stairs. Music was blaring loudly from inside, the sound of a constant party escaping through various windows on the building''s sides. Laughs and screams of either pleasure or pain, or both, mixed in with the gaudy tunes.


    The Guilty Lady. It stood as an edifice to man''s degeneration and his sin, a monument to all that was unholy in Prydain. This was the epicenter of city''s criminal activity, this was the black heart of the crime organizations.


    ¡°We need to tread carefully,¡± Alexandra surveyed the giant structure, trying to take in as many details as possible.


    ¡°Heck with that,¡± Zooey gripped her dagger even tighter, ¡°let''s bust in, smash some heads, get Sophia out!¡±


    ¡°I think we''d be outnumbered.¡± Luca was not looking forward to fighting anyone, especially Dark District criminals.


    ¡°This where the crime lords rule from,¡± Alexandra shivered, ¡°spiders in the web. This is where are all the criminal acts are commanded, planned. I''ve heard rumors that the people who run this place run all the crime in the city.¡±


    ¡°So, you''re saying we should do this peacefully then?¡±


    ¡°Yes Zooey,¡± nodded Alexandra gravely, ¡°very peacefully. Let''s stay our weapons. Hopefully it''ll be so busy we''ll be able to get in and get out before anyone discovers us or takes a real interest.¡±


    ¡°Okay boss,¡± Zooey affirmed as she slid her dagger back onto her belt; Luca put his knife back in his pocket.


    Neither liked the idea of stowing their weapons, but each knew that Alexandra had the best notion of it: this was not an enemy to be directly challenged.


    ¡°Do you think they''re just going to let us in?¡± Luca didn''t believe it would be that easy.


    ¡°I''m sure there will be guards,¡± Alexandra spotted a large man brandishing a sword just a few steps from the doors. ¡°We''ll say we''re there to work or to pay, whichever one gets us in.¡±


    ¡°Ugh, what if they demand money up front?¡± Zooey felt her hard-earned pennies still in her pocket.


    ¡°We don''t have enough to fake it,¡± Alexandra did some quick calculations, ¡°we''ll need to try to avoid that and talk past that.¡±


    ¡°And if they don''t buy it?¡± Luca did not think he would like the sound of a ''plan b''.


    ¡°Find another way in. But, those windows look a little high from the ground. Let''s try the front door first.¡±


    ¡°I really don''t think they''ll let us waltz in,¡± Luca shook his head, the large guard near the door was giving him an uneasy feeling.


    ¡°He will,¡± said Alexandra confidently, nodding her head, ¡°we just have to look the part.¡±


    Alexandra hiked her skirt up to a scandalous level, Luca''s eyed widened and he quickly looked away. She rolled her sleeves up and ran her hands through her hair a few times. Zooey took the cue and did the same, still making sure her weapon remained hidden.


    ¡°What about Luca?¡±


    ¡°Just play along,¡± Alexandra pushed a stunned Luca forward towards The Guilty Lady.


    He stumbled up the front steps propelled by Alexandra with Zooey in tow. The sky above disappeared as the building became larger and larger until it was all the eye could see. A monolith to the black heart, the Guilty Lady was a twisted tree who''s roots stretched all over Avindr as well as across all of Prydain.


    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    The two wooden doors suddenly were before them, inlaid-gold patterns of the most risqu¨¦ nature decorated the paneling, matching the two large solid-gold door handles. No one would dare steal the gold from these doors, retribution would be swift and terrible. Above the law, the crime lords of The Guilty Lady were the unquestionable authority in the Dark District. From in between the seam in the center of the doors, a sickly red light emanated from within, betraying the wickedness that lived behind the old thick stone and mortar of the building.


    Alexandra was just reaching for the handle when the distracted guard posted outside finally took notice of them. He quickly turned away from the woman he had been chatting up and bounded almost instantly to them, his hulking frame impeding progress.


    ¡°Where do you lot think you lot ''re going?!¡± he demanded, a little miffed he had almost been derelict in his duty.


    ¡°Problem?¡± Alexandra put on a swagger. ¡°Hmm what do you want?¡±


    ¡°Alex?¡± Zooey whispered imperatively, believing that antagonizing the large man was more than likely not a good plan.


    ¡°We want to go in,¡± Alexandra nodded her head towards the doors, ignoring Zooey.


    ¡°Aye, and what for?¡±


    ¡°Obvious in''it?¡± she put on accent, their voices gave them away that they were not exactly from the Dark District. ¡°It''s the boy''s birthday and we want to show him a good time,¡± she pushed Luca forward again front and center.


    The guard eyed him skeptically. ¡°And you''re going to give it to him?¡±


    ¡°Just need a good environment y''know,¡± Alexandra kept up her deception without missing a beat.


    ¡°What? Both of you?¡± the hired muscle leaned to the side to get a good view of Zooey as well.


    Alexandra glanced behind her before straitening her expression and turning back to the guard, ¡°well yeah... it is his special day after all.¡±


    Luca was blushing red, he knew Alexandra was not serious but it was still embarrassing. It made him uncomfortable to hear Alexandra talk in such a way, he thought it was beneath her.


    ¡°Can afford a room here eh?¡± the guard''s stance softened, ¡°rooms are expensive, even when they don''t come with built-in fun.¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± Alexandra pretended to be put off by the comment, ¡°why else would be here?!¡±


    ¡°All right,¡± the guard stepped aside and opened one of the doors, ¡°go in and enjoy yourselves.¡±


    ¡°We will uh-huh,¡± Zooey got in on the act, trying to be helpful. She felt bad Alexandra always did all the talking.


    ¡°I bet you will,¡± the guard laughed as they slipped passed him through the door, ¡°and you,¡± he grabbed Luca by the shirt suddenly, stopping him in his tracks.


    ¡°Yes sir?¡± Luca gulped, the man''s huge fist very prominent in his vision.


    ¡°Have a happy birthday.¡± The guard released him and started laughing again.


    Alexandra pressed Luca through the open door and gripped Zooey''s hand and pulled her along with them. They blinked once inside, trying to get their eyes to adjust the gaudy lighting. Before them was a large room, bathed mostly in the deep blue and red lighting they had seen before from outside. The ceiling was three-stories up and two large gilded staircases wound upwards across at the far side of the room. The multi-level room was filled with couches, chairs, and fireplaces.


    On the various seats were men and woman carousing in the most unseemly manner. A band played from a stage on the left side of the giant chamber, setting the mood for the patrons of the establishment. This was the common area, nothing too extreme going on. It was up the two staircases across the room that led to the true darkness of the building. The din of the crowd was overwhelming coupled with the music. Standing at the front door, a sea of debauchery before them, Zooey and Luca in huddled closer to Alexandra.


    Usually guests wishing to go beyond the common room had check in and be given a room for their activities. In between the two winding staircases across the room was a podium with another large hired guard behind it On the podium was a gigantic leather-bound ledger, the record of who was in what room, for how long, and what for.


    ¡°I don''t see Sophia anywhere Alex,¡± Zooey squinted and scanned the crowded room.


    ¡°She''s special to them¡± reasoned Alexandra, ¡°they took all the trouble abducting her. They''re not going to keep her out here. No, they''ll have her upstairs, they''ll save her for an important slime-ball.¡±


    Zooey sucked in her breath, ¡°we need to get her out here. Who knows what they''ve done to her already.¡±


    ¡°They''re not going tell us where she is,¡± Luca correctly surmised.


    ¡°We could force it?¡± Zooey was getting anxious for action to replace her cold fear.


    ¡°No,¡± Alexandra whispered though whispering was probably unnecessary given the noise. ¡°We have to be quiet, we can''t draw attention to ourselves. We need to find Sophia and get out of here before they figure out what''s going on.¡±


    ¡°Then how are we going to find out where they''ve taken her?¡± Luca did not see a way around the problem.


    Alexandra spotted a drunk sprawled out on a couch very close to the podium. ¡°I think the answer to our problems has arrived.¡±


    She took off quickly across the floor towards the drunk, Zooey and Luca scrambling to keep up with her. She suddenly stopped at one of the several bartenders serving in the room.


    ¡°All the money we got today,¡± Alexandra turned to them, ¡°quickly I need it¡±


    Luca and Zooey dug deep into their pockets without question and quickly produced their earnings for the day from the Market District. Alexandra snatched them up and put them down on the bar.


    ¡°What can fifty-six pennies get me?¡±


    The bartender looked in disgust and the trivial amount before reaching for a bottle on the floor and pouring half a glass of not-particularly-decent ale into it. He swiped the pennies up and moved on. Zooey and Luca were aghast as they saw their day''s labor vanish in a moment, and for a cup of bad ale to top it off. Alexandra grabbed the mug off of the bar and continued her bee-line towards the man on the couch.


    ¡°Hey there,¡± she smiled, sitting down next to incoherent drunk.


    ¡°Eh?¡± he blinked, ¡°what''d you want?¡±


    ¡°You''re here a lot right?¡±


    ¡°Every day!¡± he slurred proudly, ¡°good drink and good women!¡±


    ¡°And you see everyone who goes upstairs right?¡±


    ¡°Sure do!¡± his head rolled back as he struggled to keep it level, ¡°I sees everyone who goes up.¡±


    ¡°Did a young girl go up today? Long dark hair and amber eyes?¡±


    ¡°Her eyes!¡± the man blurted out, ¡°so pretty, so sad. Yeah, I saws her go up, led up by two of those big fellas they got working here.¡±


    The others stayed silent as Alexandra plied the addled man for the info they needed.


    ¡°Did you hear what room they took her up to?¡±


    ¡°Why would I tell you that?¡± snorted the drunk, his mind clearing just a little.


    ¡°Because I have this for you if you tell me,¡± Alexandra brought the mug of ale she had just bought into the man''s wobbly vision.


    ¡°M...mine?¡±


    ¡°If I hear what room the girl with the amber eyes is in you get this all to yourself.¡±


    ¡°Three fourteen!¡± the drunk greedily grabbed at the cup as he gave up the answer.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± she handed the mug over and got up off the couch to face Luca and Zooey, ¡°third floor, fourteenth room.¡±


    ¡°Nice,¡± Zooey was truly impressed. ¡°I wouldn''t have thought of that, so ridiculously simple.¡±


    ¡°He''s a drunk,¡± Luca did not know how he felt about the strategy employed, ¡°should we really have given him more ale?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Alexandra admitted, ¡°but we don''t have the time. Sophia needs us and she''s more important. This was the best way to find out what we needed without putting anyone in danger.¡±


    ¡°Yeah you''re right. Okay, now we just waltz upstairs?¡± Luca was glancing around to see if there were more guards stationed around.


    A large party had just arrived at the podium, seven couples all together. The man with the ledger was hurriedly scribbling down names and not keeping his eyes on the staircases for a moment.


    ¡°Now!¡± Alexandra whispered as loud as she dare.


    The three stepped gingerly through the archway and bounded up the stairs as quickly as their legs could move them. The stairs wound around and around, golden handrails and red plush steps. They passed the first level and then the second, finally arriving at the entrance to the third floor.


    On either side of the hallway now before them were simple wooden doors, benches lining the hall between every other door. A simple number in gold is all that adorned each door. The concave ceiling above was painted to resemble the sky during a partially-cloudy day, punctuated by crisscrossing pipes embedded in it going from room to room. Torches were spaced several feet apart along both sides of the wall. Some were masked with red glass to give off the distinctive glow that themed the establishment.


    There was an eerie silence, the large oaken doors that lined the hall in conjunction with old thick walls kept the sounds contained there within. Occasionally some indiscriminate noise would escape through a crack, voices, male and female echoing quietly down the expansive halls. For a place they knew to be filled to the brim with people, the silence they heard was eerie and unsettling.


    Other halls shot off from the main corridor they were now standing in, the sheer size inside the triangular building was unbelievable. The carpet was also very old, faded, but the elegant designs in it were still very prominent nonetheless. A deep maroon colour, it went with the mood lighting, interweaving golden-colour loops lining each side as well. If it were not for what this building now was, it would have been a breathtakingly beautiful place. Perhaps decades, even centuries ago, this building was a good place, but now the entire area of the city had decayed and everything in it re-purposed for nefarious needs. Alexandra had an sick feeling in her gut, she could almost feel the slime in the air. The atmosphere itself was oppressive.


    She tried to shrug those feelings off for the sake of the others, they always looked up to her, whether some of them admitted it or not. She had never set out to be the leader of this little group of cast-offs, it had just happened. Occasionally it wore her down. Sometimes she just wanted to collapse under the weight of their situation, her own fears and insecurities.


    But no.


    She swallowed and rubbed her eyes: people depended on her. She could not let her friends down or left herself down for that matter. Steadying her trembling foot, she took in a big breath. The air was musty and unpleasant, Alexandra tried to only breath in through her mouth.


    ¡°So many rooms!¡± Luca could not believe the amount of doors and hallways they could see just from the landing at the top of stairs.


    ¡°And there''s more floors than this,¡± reminded Zooey, equally amazed.


    ¡°This place is its own world too,¡± Luca mused, "no one outside knows any of this exists here in the Dark District.¡±


    ¡°Except for all the nobles, soldiers, and commoners that frequent this place,¡± Alexandra reminded them. ¡°They brave the perils of the District to reach here, to spend a night here, or days maybe. Lots of people know about it, no one talks about it.¡±


    ¡°Sickos!¡± Zooey spat, ¡°and one of them is probably with Sophia right now!¡±


    ¡°We need to find room fourteen!¡± Luca had almost forgotten about Sophia, the faded splendor of the building had seduced his attention.


    ¡°Fan out, we''ll find the right room faster,¡± Alexandra took off, bounding down the nearest off-shoot hallway, ¡°and wait for everyone else.¡±


    That instruction was mostly meant for Zooey. She had a tendency to leap into situations without much more than a moment''s thought. Not a bad quality, she was person of intense emotions and bravery, often not thinking about her own safety. More than once Alexandra had to pull Zooey out of some scraps that she would have lost. Pretending it annoyed her when she was held back, Zooey knew she was impulsive and knew that Alexandra had saved her neck quite a few times.


    The doors like silent watchers flew past as Alexandra ran down the hall, hey eyes darting side to side to catch the numbers as they passed by. She was in the thirties, but the door numbers were dropping, she knew Sophia lay somewhere ahead. Luca and Zooey had taken other hallways and were doing the same, all converging towards room Three Fourteen. Her heart pounding, Alexandra wiped a tear away from her eye as she moved. She was terrified for Sophia, she felt guilty, that it was her fault that she had been kidnapped.


    ¡°If only I''d been outside the gate sooner!¡± she cursed at herself in her thoughts, replaying her day in the Market in her head, trying to see times she could have hurried along and been there to stop Sophia from being taken.


    Behind every door was a sad story, broken dreams, and fulfilled lustful desire. The black veins of Prydain''s criminal underworld all extended from here. Certainly the largest, most organized, and most successful underhanded venture in the Dark District, the crime lords that ran this place controlled most of the criminal underworld. Far above the carousing and never-ending party of frivolity, the master planners stayed upstairs behind curtain-covered windows. They were ever scheming, ever plotting. This fact was well-known in the Dark District, and by the hundreds, maybe thousands of criminals that were ''employed'' by the masters of The Guilty Lady. Outside of those circles, they were as a whispered rumor.


    ¡°Over here!¡± Alexandra heard the shout from Luca and she broke her course and veered down a side passageway she had heard him call out from.


    Arriving at the same moment as Zooey from the opposite direction, they found Luca standing in front of door Three Fourteen.


    They both stood there for a moment, catching their breaths. Luca was staring at the door, anger radiating from him. This door was the obstacle, this door was Sophia''s cage. They could not hear any noises coming from within, but that did not mean that they were not being made. The Guilty Lady held its secrets tightly, keeping the activities inside it''s rooms well hidden.


    Zooey eyed the door, ¡°so what''s the plan Alex? We going to knock? I can''t wait to see what you say to get whoever is in there to open the door.¡±


    ¡°Actually,¡± Alexandra shot her a strained smile, ¡°I was thinking because of the rush we''d go with your way.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Zooey had a lot of pent up energy and anger about what was happening to Sophia, she could not wait to let it out.


    They all turned towards the door and braced themselves for a quick and painful impact.


    Alexandra planted her foot, ready to slam into the wood surface, ¡°the door on three. One...two...¡±


    THUD!


    The door shook and stood for but a moment before it slowly fell backwards into the room. The dust cleared and then there was silence. The light entered into the room, making it''s winding path through the upset dust clouds. A low red light emitted from deep inside the room, dark outlines being slowly defined.


    ¡°What''s this?!¡± a panicked male voice demanded from inside


    ¡°Alexandra?¡± The whisper was barely audible but there was no mistaking it: it was Sophia''s voice.


    ¡°Sophia!¡± Zooey drew her blade and plunged into the room, the others just a step behind her.


    The space inside was small, a rectangle in its design. To the right of the door was a chest of drawers, a candle held in a red-tinted case hung down on a rusty chain from the high ceiling. Across the room was a double-sized bed, a short nightstand next to it that an additional candle-stand sat on. The bed had several musty old blankets on it that looked like they were very expensive and the height of fashion several decades ago. On the bed was a wiry young man wearing only his under-undergarments. His head was turned, looking startled towards the now-demolished door. He was leaning half-over Sophia, shoulders bare, sheet gripped tightly in her hand covering her chest, tears on her cheek, and a terrified expression on her face.


    ¡°Get OFF!¡± Zooey''s voice was an explosion of rage as she bounded up to the bed and yanked the surprised man onto his back.


    The man lunged for the side table and suddenly produced a long sword. He swung wildly in front of him, Zooey leaping back off the bed to avoid being sliced in half. He grabbed the candle-stand and through it with all his strength. Luca put his hands out to block it but fell backwards on the carpet. Alexandra was working her way along the side of the room to reach the bed but her path was suddenly blocked by the half-naked man, sword at her nose.


    He reached out and pushed Alexandra with his free hand so hard against the wall that her necklace jostled hung out the front of her shirt. She quickly reached up to make sure her most prized possession was still attached to its chain.


    ¡°How dare you come in here!¡± bellowed the man.


    Zooey was suddenly on his back, dragging him backwards.


    Luca jumped at his legs and they toppled him back over the bed, tumbling to the floor. For his efforts, he got kicked towards the center of the room.


    Zooey and the man grappled until he finally got his hand around, grabbed her by the back of her shirt and flung her off of him. Luca was back in action and flung his leg in front of him and kicked the man square in the chest.


    Alexandra finally got to the side of the bed and climbed up, covering Sophia with her body, her back to the fight. Zooey and the attacker traded slashes, each ducking or dodging out of the way of the others attack. Luca would try to throw in his own knife jabs when he could but since he was only armed with a pocketknife, his range was exceedingly low and dangerously limited. Alexandra had been forced to ditch her metal pipe before they entered, it being too large to conceal like the other weapons.


    The man kicked, trying to sweep Zooey''s legs out from under her but she saw it coming and jumped, avoiding the threat. She swung wide but missed, giving the man a moment to regain his position and continue his attack momentum. The man''s sword connected with Zooey''s dagger with a loud clang. Her hand trembled with the impact of the much larger sword but she held her ground and pushed back with all her strength. Luca was back on his feet in an instant, moving forward to press the attack. Zooey threw the man off balance and Luca slashed with his knife causing the man to jump backwards to avoid the sudden onslaught. Zooey jumped forward and pushed the man down on the ground next to the bed, one foot on his chest, the other on the hand holding his sword. Luca rushed forward and yanked the weapon away from him and threw it across the room towards the door.


    He stared up at them with pure hatred, and his gaze was returned in kind.


    ¡°Sophia,¡± Alexandra leaned back, giving Sophia room to breathe, ¡°are OK? Are you all right?¡±


    ¡°Alexandra...¡± she sniffled back the tears, ¡°you came for me....you all came for me.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Alexandra held her hand tightly, ¡°we''d never let you go.¡±


    ¡°Did this slime ball do anything!¡± Zooey''s eyes were drilling holes in the man.


    ¡°No,¡± she murmured, still clutching the bed sheet to her chest, ¡°he was about to when you...¡± the tears welled up again.


    ¡°Shh,¡± Alexandra whispered back, ¡°he''s not going to do anything to you.¡±


    ¡°You''re lucky you didn''t,¡± Zooey''s pressed the dagger lightly between the man''s eyes, ¡°or else you''d already be dead.¡±


    ¡°Sophia I''m glad you¡¯re all right.¡±


    ¡°Thanks Luca,¡± she breathed a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Here we go,¡± Alexandra grabbed Sophia''s blouse off of the floor and handed it to her gently, ¡°let''s get this back on and we''ll get out of here. Tomorrow all this will just be like a bad dream and we''ll all wake up together back home.¡±


    ¡°I''d like that,¡± Sophia finally had a little smile as she slipped her shirt back over her head.


    ¡°All better,¡± Alexandra helped her pull her long hair out of the top of her top, ¡°are we ready to go?¡±


    ¡°All ready over here,¡± Zooey took a few careful steps back, the man remaining on the floor, not daring to move


    ¡°I''ll check the hall,¡± Luca ran to the door and peered out into the hallway. ¡°Look''s good.¡±


    ¡°All right,¡± Alexandra held Sophia''s hand as she slowly got out of the bed, ¡°let''s just move to the door and we''re on the way out.¡±


    ¡°Stay down,¡± Zooey threatened the man as she continued her slow retreat to the door.


    Luca waited impatiently out in the hall, Zooey next slowly backing up, then Sophia, then lastly Alexandra guiding her towards the door from behind.


    ¡°Hurry up!¡± Luca was getting anxious, the silence bothering him, afraid people would start coming out of other rooms at any moment.


    Unseen to them, the man had slowly worked his hand under the bed. Zooey finally turned her back to go out the door and that''s when the man jumped into action.


    Pulling another short sword he had previously hidden under the bed out all the way he propelled himself forward screaming in rage. He raised the sword as he crossed the room, bringing it down to strike.


    Zooey turned to fight but she was already too far out the door to stop his blade with hers and couldn''t get around Sophia and Alexandra in time to intercept. Alexandra spun around and blocked the others, jamming her eyes shut.


    But the killing blow never came.


    Alexandra opened her eyes slowly, not knowing what was going on. The man''s short sword was inches from her chest, holding its position. It was also glowing a light blue colour. She had never seen anything like it, and judging by the expression on the man''s face, neither had he. Noticing something out of the corner of her vision, Alexandra looked down at herself: the golden pendant she was wearing was glowing with the same light.


    ¡°What is this devilry!¡± the man demanded, horror in his voice as he stared at her pendant, ¡°those engravings... no! It can''t be!¡±


    Zooey did not wait for an answer, she bounded back into the room and knocked the short sword out of his hand. With a swift kick, she sent the dumbfounded assailant back to the ground. Her dagger was now mere inches from his face. Zooey was embarrassed she had let someone get the drop on them, angry that he had almost killed her friend. It took all her will to not run him through.


    ¡°What happened?!¡± Luca was trying to see what was going on.


    ¡°I''m not sure,¡± Alexandra held her pendant, the glow fading, ¡°it''s unbelievable.¡±


    Sophia admired the quickly dimming light. ¡°It''s never done that before, in fact I''ve never seen anything like that before.¡±


    ¡°What''s going on?¡± Alexandra''s furrowed brow betrayed her deep confusion, turning the pendant over in her hands.


    ¡°Sounded like he might know,¡± Zooey motioned at the man she had pinned to the floor, ¡°better start talking if you want to make it to tomorrow with all your bits intact.¡±


    ¡°Go to hell, Oonskat,¡± he muttered.


    ¡°That did not sound like helpful information,¡± Zooey plunged her dagger into the floorboards right between the man''s legs, barely missing him.


    ¡°Okay! Okay! Anything!¡± the man suddenly sang a different tune.


    ¡°First off,¡± Alexandra stepped forward, her pendant clutched firmly in her hand, ¡°who are you?¡±


    ¡°Lerrick,¡± he said, then reluctantly added, ¡°Lerrick Cornelius.¡±


    ¡°From the Noble House?!¡± Zooey could not believe it.


    ¡°A Named Family member? An Actual Named Family member, here?¡± Luca was astonished, he could not imagine someone from the top of society being in the den of the lowest..


    The importance and power of this man they had at weapon point could not be underestimated. By the way he gave his identity, he was truly a powerful noble, one that held a Family Name.


    Alexandra recalled the name from overheard gossip and news. ¡°I''ve heard of you.¡±


    ¡°You''d better!¡± the man''s arrogance rose again, ¡°I am the third son of Radulfus Cornelius, brother to the heir of the House: Ulfarr Cornelius!¡±


    House Cornelius was THE prominent house in Prydain currently, recognized as the leading voice of the nation after the previous upheaval of the noble families and course of the nation.


    Sixteen years ago, the status quo of Prydain was overturned when unknown parties laid siege to the country estate of the oldest and most powerful Noble House, House Archdeacon. Related by blood to the now extinct Arkland family line, House Archdeacon was one of the first houses that ruled Prydain under Willem Arkland centuries ago. Their voice guided the nation towards the new era of prosperity it was enjoying and it''s temperance led to a wide-spread peace across the nation.


    Respected above all other houses, commanding the largest force of soldiers and having the biggest treasury, a surprise attack left the entire Family dead with no named heirs. The event shocked the nation and led to confusion and panic in the Landskyp. Trade ground to a halt as the course of the nation was unclear. House Cornelius quickly stepped up and took the reins of the nation, asserting sway over the Landskyp and the rest of the Houses. The forces that attacked House Archdeacon were never identified, though it is the common theory that it was Land Pirates from deep in the Distansera looking for wealth.


    Officially, House Archdeacon still exists, on paper. The Watchers kept the name listed as a current House, despite there being no heir and their holdings now long abandoned. This was done probably out of respect to the ancient House that met a sudden and ignoble end.


    ¡°Why Sophia?¡± Luca demanded, ¡°you could have anyone with your Name. Why her and why here?!¡±


    Despite the blade trained on him, Lerrick could not hide his uncouth nature. ¡°Typical high society girls can be so boring, no adventure or life at all. Got a message by courier; was told that that a new girl was available, someone really special. I''m kind of an important patron here, they always give me first crack, we scratch each others backs. The message said I should come down at once so I could be the first.¡±


    ¡°Disgusting,¡± Zooey sneered at him, ¡°you''re nothing but a two-faced lecherous swine.¡±


    ¡°I''m not a property,¡± Sophia whispered quietly from behind Alexandra.


    ¡°Don''t mind him. You,¡± Alexandra turned back to Lerrick, ¡°do you know why my pendant is glowing? It only happened when your sword was near it.¡±


    ¡°I don''t,¡± Lerrick then saw the look in Zooey''s eyes behind her dagger, ¡°I mean, I don''t see it all the time. Uh, it''s not common to see, I mean.¡±


    His attempts to hide his nervousness were not very good.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Zooey inched her dagger even closer.


    ¡°I just don''t believe it.¡± Lerrick was frowning.


    ¡°Better start believing it,¡± Zooey pressed harder on his chest with her foot, just s lip of her wrist would end his life.


    ¡°It only happens when name relics are brought within close proximity. My short sword is mine, given to me by Radulfus Cornelius to confer the Family Name to me.¡±


    For a moment, that statement hung in the pregnant air.


    ¡°But, that would mean...¡± Luca''s eyes widened as he looked at Alexandra''s pendant anew.


    ¡°But, this isn''t my relic from House Benham,¡± Alexandra examined every inch of the pendant even though she had spent her whole life keeping it close. ¡°There''s no name on it.¡±


    ¡°This isn''t a named relic,¡± Zooey told Lerrick, ¡°stop lying to us!¡±


    ¡°I''m not! I swear!¡± he insisted, ¡°it''s a reaction that''s caused when two name relics are close! I''m not lying! I promise!¡±


    ¡°The only thing on it is a line design etched into it, but no name. Name relics have to have a name,¡± this was a fact that Alexandra was intimately familiar with given the nature of her banishment.


    ¡°The design, mean anything special?¡± Zooey tapped the dagger on the tip of her captive''s nose.


    ¡°Uh, no, I mean. nothing...¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± she plunged the sword into the floorboards again but this time even closer to man''s important parts, ¡°because a minute ago you seemed very taken aback by the artsy engraving on it, shocked to the core I''d say!¡±


    ¡°It''s a pattern used by Noble Houses back in the day!¡± he blurted out and instantly regretted it.


    ¡°What?¡± Alexandra could not wrap her head about what she was being told.


    ¡°Who are you Alexandra?¡± Sophia reached out and touched the pendant, admiring the complicated pattern-work on its surface.


    ¡°I thought I was no one,¡± she replied, ¡°now I don''t know.¡±


    ¡°How do you know about some random pretty lines on a pendant?¡± Zooey demanded, her increasingly anxious glare letting Lerrick know he had better offer up the information quickly.


    ¡°It''s an old pattern, three concentric overlapping circles in a tying pattern, it decorates the columns and ceilings of the estates of the oldest Noble Houses. It''s an ancient design from the tribes of Brithwyr before Prydain was formed. It''s supposed to channel the energy of nature and ward off evil. It''s just a bunch of superstitious nonsense if you ask me,¡± Lerrick had spent all of his childhood in a life of privilege and comfort, he would have seen this pattern every day.


    ¡°No one has asked you about the nonsense,¡± glared Zooey. ¡°I''m still deciding which ear of yours to cut off as soon as the others aren''t looking.¡±


    Lerrick bit his lip and stayed quiet.


    ¡°Maybe it''s a second relic from when they named you ''Benham''?¡± Luca thought it sounded like a reasonable explanation.


    ¡°No,¡± Alexandra shook her head, ¡°my mother explained to me a little when I asked about my tattoo when I was younger: she said only one relic could be given to one person for the naming. She didn''t know why or how, but she said it could only be done once. Only the heads of the Noble Houses even know how the whole process works.¡±


    ¡°This is important,¡± Sophia looked Alexandra straight in the eyes fore the first time since they had reunited.


    Alexandra shook her head. ¡°It can''t be a relic, there''s no name on it. Who would have even given me a Name? I''ve never known anyone, I''ve never been anyone special. I was banished when I was just a baby. None of this makes any sense!¡±


    ¡°Alexandra,¡± Sophia''s voice was firm but gentle, ¡°something has happened here that proves that your pendant is something very special and important, there''s no other way of looking at it.¡±


    ¡°What''s she talking about?¡± Zooey was the one now confused.


    ¡°Well,¡± Alexandra could not believe what she was saying, ¡°good old Lerrick here, a representative of House Cornelius has stated that my pendant is a name relic, maybe. This is not the relic from my old House, the one I was named into as baby. The only people who can tell me what is going on and what this means is the Watchers.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Zooey was stunned.


    ¡°What?! No!¡± Lerrick echoed, suddenly a great deal more panic rising in his voice.


    ¡°It''s the only thing I can do,¡± Alexandra was now determined, ¡°only the Watchers can tell me what this is. This pendant is the only thing I have of my father, the father I never knew. I need someone to tell me what this is, what this all means... and maybe who my father is.¡±


    Zooey did not think it would work, ¡°they won''t ever let us get close to the Watchers.¡±


    ¡°They''ll have to,¡± Sophia corrected her, ¡°when someone presents themselves with what they claim is a name relic, the Watchers must pronounce a verdict, they cannot turn you away. Outcast or not, they have to take a look at the item, even if it''s fake, they have to examine it to declare so. Then they will kick you out if they say it''s not real.¡±


    ¡°I''m right behind you Alexandra,¡± Luca stood next to her.


    ¡°No!¡± Lerrick cried out from the floor, ¡°you can''t.... it''s not possible! You can''t go to the Watchers!¡±


    ¡°Shut up you,¡± Zooey gave him a swift kick as she finally took her foot off of him as the group exited the room.


    Luca checked the hall once more, surprised that all the commotion they had been causing had not raised an alarm. Of course, the building was meant to keep sound in, it was not too much of a surprise that no one had noticed. Sophia was next, guided by Alexandra''s hands on her shoulders, then Zooey, keeping her dagger turned towards Lerrick who remained obediently on the floor.


    ¡°How are we going to get out of here?¡± Luca was remembering the large party and guards downstairs.


    ¡°Out a second story window,¡± Alexandra had already plotted their escape route, ¡°it''s a bit far but if we can land on some barrels or something it won''t be too bad¡±


    ¡°It''s so high up,¡± Sophia shivered. She did not like the sound of jumping out of a window.


    ¡°I''ll go first,¡± Zooey was always the first to jump into a situation, figuratively and literally.


    ¡°And I''ll be right behind you with Luca,¡± Alexandra reassured her, ¡°then we''ll just stroll right back home.¡±


    They quickly made their way back down the main hallway to the two winding staircases in the back of the building. Not seeing anyone else, everyone either asleep now or preoccupied, they descended to the second floor. The sounds of the party in the main room on the first floor just a flight below was still going, the sounds of glasses and voices mixing in the air. Peering out the sporadic windows in the hall, they finally spotted one that looked like it would serve their purpose. A large stack of barrels was set next to the building, it was just a short fall from the window to the barrels. Luca forced the window open and Zooey swung one leg out the window, then the other. She wiggled her toes in the cold air before lowering herself out the window. She fell for a moment before hitting the barrels, the stack rocking slightly side to side. She carefully picked her way down until she was safely on the street and motioned for Sophia to follow.


    ¡°It''s too high,¡± Sophia leaned out the window.


    ¡°You can do it,¡± Alexandra encouraged her, ¡°I know you can. Here, we''ll help.¡±


    Luca held one of Sophia''s hand while Alexandra held the other. Sophia crawled backwards out the window, shaking in fear but doing it because she trusted her friends. Once she was out the window, they leaned out and gently lowered her onto the barrels. She gripped them tightly as they swayed before she quickly made her way all the way down, Zooey helping her the last few steps. Luca was next, making it to the street in two jumps, then looking up quite proud of himself. Up on the second floor, Alexandra took one last look around the hall, this was a disgusting place and she could not wait to quit it. She then looked at her pendant.


    ¡°What does all this mean?¡± She turned the pendant over one more time in her hands, feeling its familiar surface.


    It looked the same as it had the last sixteen years it had been with her, but now it was mysterious, something she seemed to know nothing about. The pendant was the only thing her father ever gave her, her mother repeatedly told her that when she was a child. It was nothing but an heirloom, a link to a lost past. Suddenly though, now this pendant was the source of confusion and worry deep in her heart. Part of her was excited, something new had happened, something out of the ordinary. On the other hand, she was worried that this would cause her friends trouble, she was scared of what it could mean, whatever it did mean. She tucked the pendant back under her shirt and climbed out the window to join her friends on the ground.


    Dawn was only an hour or two away; the activity in the Dark District was dying down before the sun rose. Soon the day criminals would emerge, those that did business there in the sunny hours, those that went out and plied their illegal trades in the other parts of the city. During the lull in between criminal shifts, Alexandra and her friends moved quickly back the way they came towards the slums where they lived. It appeared as if they had managed to get out of The Guilty Lady without alerting anyone to their presence or rescue of Sophia, no one seemed to be following them as far as they could tell.


    The shadows were still present in the side alleys and behind the soot-covered windows, but they receded as they sensed dawn approaching. Zooey was on guard for any highwaymen, or dust sellers, but no one approached them. Alexandra was busy talking with Sophia, making sure she was all right, trying to coax a smile or laugh from her. It was a slow process considering what she had been through but it looked liked Alexandra was getting there.


    It was five in the morning when they arrived back at their home in the slums, making it out of the Dark District without any further confrontations. They were weary from the fighting, lack of sleep, and the unnerving fact they had been to the black heart of the Dark District. Sophia got into her bed with all her clothes on and curled up, a smile creeping across her face as she was back in safe familiar settings surrounded by her family.


    Zooey yawned, put her dagger next to her bedding and got in as well for what was left of the night. Luca, always looking up to her, put his pocketknife next to his bedding and also got into bed. Alexandra sat down on her pile of hay, examining her pendant one more time. When the dawn arrived and after she had stolen an hour or so of sleep, she would set out for the Watchers.


    Alexandra decided to leave before the others awoke, she did not want to get them involved in anything that could dangerous. She was an Oonskat, and exiled named family member to boot, about to travel to the upper-class district to present the Watchers a strange pendant that a lecher in a brothel told her might be important. She smiled: it was all so ridiculous. But even so, she had to know what the pendant was, why it suddenly started glowing.


    She tucked the pendant back under her blouse, and lied down. All she wanted was to sleep for a day, she was exhausted from their travel and being wracked with her worry for Sophia and the rest of them as they were in the Dark District. She knew she had to rise soon, that she had to leave for the Watchers before they knew she had gone.


    ¡°I have to know what my pendant is,¡± she thought as her eyes quickly fell closed, the view of their room fading away, ¡°even if they throw me out at sword point...I just have to know.¡±

 The Space Between

    ¡°It is easy to tell where one is whilst traveling the length of the capitol; each area has its own distinct feeling. From Coal City, to the docks, the slums, the Market, the Garden, even the through vast in-between where the commoners live... every place is unique unto itself.¡±


    ---- from a farmer coming to Avindr to sell his harvest for the season


    The sun cast out it''s morning rays across the sleeping land, the light coming over the western steam stacks of Coal City. Alexandra''s eyes opened with the whine of the machinery starting up for the day, reluctantly coming to life with the new day as the factories began their daily toil. She blinked groggily, sitting up and rubbing her arms to get warm. Her breath hung in the air for a few moments before disappearing. The others were still soundly asleep, they had after all only gone to bed a few hours ago. Zooey''s eyes were twitching; Alexandra stifled a giggle, she imagined Zooey was probably imagining a great fight that she was winning. She stood as quietly as possible, gently setting her blanket back down so as to not wake her friends.


    She was going alone.


    An Oonskat traveling into the upper class zones of the city was dangerous enough, but actually going to the Watchers, that was possible suicide. Since the Oonskat were of such a low stature in society, injustice done against them was basically unseen by the rest of the populous. It would not be unheard of, if while on the way, Alexandra simply disappeared. It was entirely possible that the guards would beat her, throw her out, possibly even kill her without anyone saying a word. Going across the city was risky business and she did not want to put her friends in harm''s way for her personal quest.


    Despite the risks, she had to know about her father, it was tearing her up inside not knowing. It had always bothered her but she had written it off as a mystery never to be solved. Now, there were new developments and her perspective was different suddenly. Now she had to know, now the unsolvable mystery was all that she could think about, occupying her every waking thought.


    Her feet hurt against the cold stone underneath them, and it would be still be a long day. Tip-toeing over the sleeping forms of her friends, she made her way gingerly to the door and untied the string holding the flap of moldy fabric over it. She pushed it aside and stepped out into the even-colder morning air. Re-tying the door as best she could, she turned and faced the city, the sun flooding the street with its harsh morning light. A cold light, the warmth of the sun seemed to skip the slums every morning, providing only the light without the hope a brand new day usually brings.


    Alexandra stood for a moment alone in the street, getting her bearings. She knew her way around the slums with her eyes closed, but outside of those slums and the Market District she was lost. She had no plan to get to the Watchers. The Base Law that the rest of the nation''s laws were based on stated that she could see the Watchers to verify a claim, that was her right as was anyone''s, Oonskat or not. The real question was whether the soldiers would let her get that far. No law existed that kept her out, but no law existed that kept her safe either. Picking a direction that seemed right, Alexandra set off down the street, signs of life beginning to appear in the slums as everyone else awoke for another hellish day.


    The upper-class districts of Avindr were a place of opulent luxury, rarely seen by the commoners and never seen by the Oonskat. These wealthier districts in the western portion of the capitol, referred to as the Garden by the commoners, was broken up into several distinct areas. The wealthiest of commoner merchants had houses on the periphery, their wealth allowing them access to exclusive portion of the city. Most Noble Houses had estates in this area, luxurious gated palaces inside the city to stay at when they were in town for business, a meeting of the Landskyp, or to simply maintain their image of splendor to anyone who looked their way.


    The estates were old buildings, surrounded by sturdy walls of stone, heavy gates blocking access. These estates usually had some small area of grass and trees surrounding them, creating shade and blocking the Nobles from the view of the public. Surrounded by the other buildings and structures of the capitol, the Noble''s estates were islands of tranquility and comfort among the hustle and bustle of city life.


    In the center of this conglomeration of luxury and wealth sat the Watchers. The Watchers resided and conducted affairs in a large walled complex that also held the Landskyp at its bottom floor. The walls were of a bright metal with a golden sheen, the popular old wives tale with the commoners was that the building actually was made out of gold, though no one from the upper-classes would confirm or deny that fact. Towers shot up from the roofs, stained-glass windows hiding the halls within. Trees and other selective shrubbery lined the outside, the golds and greens mixing in the most pleasant of ways.


    The room that the Landskyp was held in was on the ground-level of the imposingly beautiful building, the only area that anyone ever truly saw. The rest of the large complex was believed to be residences and studies, but no one except the Watchers knew for sure, for no one but they were allowed past the ground floor. It was an oddly-shaped building, it seemed to curve around and become taller and lower in certain areas. Since no nearby building was tall enough to get an aerial view of the building, the exact shape was hard to determine, and what might be contained inside was even more of an impossible guess. There was a small contingent of guards stationed on the outside, specially-selected soldiers culled one from each House so that the entire nobility was represented. This was an honor duty, no actual work was ever required. No one except the representatives attending the Landskyp ever approached the building, and the Watchers were never seen outside its walls. Commoners never ventured that far into the area, and Oonskat never got past the soldiers stationed at the gates to the district. There was no law that implicitly stated that the commoners or even the Oonskat could not be there, but the unwritten social taboos kept them out.


    A short distance away from the Landskyp building where the Watchers did their mysterious work and studies, just a little further north in the Garden, was another building that was equally shrouded in mystery. This was the structure that held the Winnowing Chamber, the room for verifying Family Names, a large circular building separated by a long narrow stretch that at its end connected with another large rectangular building. This entire complex was at least four stories tall, and that was only above the ground. The tales told that underneath the circular portion of the building, the Winnowing Chamber, were vast underground caves that held impossible machines and secrets from Prydain''s past that only the Watchers knew. Just as the Watcher''s main complex, this building too was golden to the eye, surrounded by old trees and green growth. Ivy wound up all along the walls and over the ancient roof; stained glass windows here as well obstructing any view from the outside. Two soldiers stood outside to prevent entry to anyone except the Nobles, Watchers, and someone coming to be verified.


    Alexandra took her first tentative steps down the street of the slums, a long road that eventually would pass through the districts of the commoners and the shops, eventually all the way to the gates of the Garden. She was anxious: today she might actually have some answers about her father. Answers to why he had let the bad things happen to her and her mother, why he was never there, and why she had a life without him. There was the distinct possibility however that she would not even make to see the Watchers, not even be able to get in the Garden. No Oonskat had been inside the Garden for years or maybe decades, possibly even the last century or so. She was impatient for the answers, but she was also afraid.


    ¡°What if he wasn''t there because he didn''t love me.¡±


    Those thoughts beat at her brain, unrelenting waves washing over each other.


    Fear gripped her: not fear of being denied entrance to the Garden, not fear of the beating she may receive for trying, but fear of why she was alone. She also of course had a healthy fear of the soldiers as they might beat her or kill her. Despite that, she brushed those concerns aside, finding out what the pendant her father gave her was the most important thing. She had to know or else the questions would haunt her forever.


    At best maybe the Watchers could tell her who her father was, why he gave such an expensive thing to an infant, and then she could discover where he was, if he was even alive. At worst the Watchers would say it is nothing but a child''s trinket and eject her from the Garden and back to her purposeless life.


    She held the pendant tightly as she walked, as if she let go it would fall away and vanish forever. It had always been her most treasured possession, but now it truly was the key to her past. It maybe held the answers to where she came from, and how she got where she was now. Her steps became hurried, almost tripping over a rock in the street. She had to get the Garden, she had to get to the Watchers. Everything depended on her pendant being shown to the enigmatic and impossible to reach those guardians of secrets.


    If she could not get in, she did not know what she would do. Would she try to fight?


    The soldiers would kill her in minutes.


    Could she sneak into the Garden? Maybe, but she would surely be seen and thrown out, and then possibly killed still. She had no disguise, the rags she wore as clothes betrayed her as an Oonskat. Could she steal a disguise? No, she never stole anything, her mother taught her that stealing was wrong, even for the spit-upon such as they. Just because others looked down on them did not mean that the moral codes ignored by others did not apply to them as well. Just because others hurt them and wronged them, her mother taught her that those facts did not lessen who they were, they had to still be respectable in their way or else those that looked down on them would be right.


    Left with no disguise and no plan, Alexandra''s feet propelled her towards the Garden, her need to shed light on her past firing her onward despite the fear. The street like a great river stretched out before her, her destination so far away that it was still unseen in the distance. It was a long way across Avindr to the Garden from the slums.


    POP!


    The small pebble struck the ground in front of Alexandra causing her to come to a stumbling stop. Breath ragged, she had been running for quite a ways and had not realize it. Whipping her head around she looked for the source of the stone that had been forcibly thrown in her path. It now dawned on her that she did not have a weapon of any kind, nothing to defend herself with. She braced her foot on the ground and shook her hands.


    ¡°You!¡± a voice echoed the air, probably from the same source of the rock, ¡°didn''t you hear? There''s a toll for going this way.¡±


    ¡°Who''s there?¡± Alexandra shot her gaze around the street, shadows moved from behind barrels and boxes on all sides.


    Suddenly a large boy around Alexandra''s age jumped out from behind a box, a long piece of wood gripped tightly in his hand, ¡°you gotta pay the toll. This is our street.¡±


    Others came into view and Alexandra realized she had walked straight into a trap. Gangs taking over portions of roads and demanding money to pass was not uncommon in the slums, it was quite normal actually. The residents of the slums who had lived there long could usually avoid these pitfalls but Alexandra had been moving quickly and not watching where she was going. The lack of other people on the road, even at this early hour, was a give-away that there was something wrong. An abnormal amount the boxes on the side of the road in one area was usually a good sign that multiple people were waiting behind them. Consumed with her thoughts, Alexandra had missed all the warning signs and was now surrounded and very much alone.


    ¡°It''s two silver pieces today,¡± the lead boy chuckled as he flexed his arm holding the improvised pole-arm.


    ¡°I don''t have any silver,¡± Alexandra had never had that much money at once, ¡°all I have is three pennies, please take them and let me on my way.¡±


    Alexandra quickly patted herself down, she had left what meagerly amount of money she had left in their community hiding spot in their hut. Keeping only a few pennies for emergencies, unfortunately they were not enough for this particular emergency.


    ¡°Listen love,¡± he was getting closer to Alexandra as the others slowly were circling in. ¡°I''ll drop it down to just one silver piece, on account of how merciful I am.¡±


    ¡°I told you,¡± she was looking for a way to escape but her space was quickly being cut down by the advancing gang of seven boys who had their fists already balled, ¡°all I have are these pennies, these pennies that I worked hard for, doing honest labor.¡±


    One of the other boys laughed ¡°I bet!¡±


    Alexandra did not make a face, she refused to let them know she was scared.


    She knew how to fight: growing up a young girl in the slums, she had to learn. Here she was heavily outnumbered and weaponless. Alexandra''s main weapon was usually her words, she certainly had a gift in talking with others. Zooey always joked that Alexandra should just argue people into giving them money, but here that was useless as this gang before her now did not seem like the most reasonable group of minds ever assembled or in the mood to talk.


    Nevertheless, she tried to reason with the belligerent leader. ¡°Look, I don''t have much money but I''ll give you what I have and move on. That''s all I can do.¡±


    ¡°The going rate for passing is a silver,¡± the head boy retorted, ¡°so you''re outta luck if you don''t have it!¡±


    He raised the wooden pole above his head, about to bring it down on her head.


    ¡°Is that any way to talk to a girl?!¡± another boy''s voice rang out, a voice Alexandra recognized this time.


    Spinning around to look down the street behind her, she saw the most welcome sight she had ever seen: her friends hurrying towards them. Luca was at the forefront, a determined and rock-steady expression on his face. His pocketknife was in his hand and pointed at the gang. Behind him was Zooey, her dagger also raised, her expression equally spoiling for a fight. In the back was Sophia, unarmed of course, but doing her best to keep up.


    ¡°Seven against one isn''t fair,¡± Zooey laughed, all her energy focused. ¡°Of course, you all against me isn''t fair for you, but that sounds more fun for me! I wanted to beat up a little toad yesterday but they wouldn''t let me, you all are fair game.¡±


    The gang leader waved his weapon. ¡°Get out of here you three! We''ll let you go, free of charge, today''s special only!¡±


    ¡°I''d listen to them if I were you,¡± Alexandra folded her arms defiantly, ¡°sounds like they''re ready to fight and trust me, when Zooey''s just woken up she feels she can beat anything, and it''s usually been proven she can.¡±


    ¡°Uh, boss, they''re not leaving,¡± one of the gang members started backing off.


    ¡°Yeah man, they''ve got blades,¡± another one threw down the small stick he had been holding.


    Zooey''s grip on her dagger tightened further, she turned it slowly in her hand, keeping her stare on the leader.


    ¡°You''re lucky,¡± the leader held his wooden stake to Alexandra''s nose.


    she smiled. ¡°I am.¡± The image of her friends in her mind.


    The boss threw down his stick and booked it fast down the street, his gang members two just steps behind until they vanished down the back-alleys.


    Alexandra wiped the sweat dripping down her brow, she could finally exhale, her heart beating fast in her chest.


    ¡°And just where do you think you''re going little lady?¡± Zooey now demanded of Alexandra as they met each other in the street.


    ¡°Looks like she''s trying to go to the Watchers alone,¡± Luca put on an air of smugness, folding his arms.


    Zooey sheathed her dagger. ¡°Now why would she do something like that?¡±


    ¡°Look guys,¡± Alexandra tried to explain, ¡°thanks for helping me. I appreciate it, really I do. It''s just that it could be dangerous. This is my issue, I need to find out what this pendant is. I can''t ask you all to come along when it''s not your problem. I don''t want anyone getting hurt.¡±


    Sophia took Alexandra''s hand in hers, ¡°you are not going to have to do this alone.¡±


    ¡°We''re in,¡± Luca piped in.


    ¡°But, the soldiers,¡± protested Alexandra, ¡°they might... what if they...¡±


    A hundred terrible outcomes flashed through her imagination.


    ¡°You''re not going to get rid of us. Besides, you''ll have a better chance with any soldiers with all of us than alone.¡±


    ¡°Please Zooey,¡± Alexandra pleaded, ¡°I don''t want anything bad to happen to you, please just go home and I''ll be back tonight and we''ll have a great laugh about all this, I promise.¡±


    ¡°You''re not having all the fun without us Alex,¡± Zooey patted her friend on the shoulder as if to say ''that is that''.


    ¡°But what if there''s trouble,¡± Alexandra tried pleading, ¡°the Nobles or soldiers could not be too kind, I could get in real serious trouble for this. I can''t bring that down on you.¡±


    ¡°It''s not your decision Alexandra,¡± Sophia smiled, ¡°we''re your friends and we''re here for you


    ¡°Basically you''re stuck with us.¡±


    ¡°Thanks Luca,¡± Alexandra realized she was not going to be able to go on without her friends accompanying her.


    She couldn''t help but smile a little as well, her heart feeling warmed despite the cold morning.


    ¡°We''re together,¡± Sophia added, ¡°no matter what.¡±


    ¡°It''s a long way to the Garden and you''ve already needed our help.¡± She was irritated by the fact, but Luca was spot on. ¡°Besides, you''ll need people to talk to you on the way there.¡±


    ¡°We''re wasting the day." Zooey was being impatient, as usual. ¡°I''m hungry. I''m sure there will be plenty of good food in the Garden.¡±


    ¡°If they let us in,¡± Luca reminded.


    ¡°Yeah yeah," she waved him off, ¡°we''ll worry about that when it happens. Right now it''s a long walk there and I''m starving.¡±


    This was it, the start of a new adventure, though how large a one they could have no way of possibly knowing.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Alexandra felt part of the weight she had been feeling lifted, her friends by her side once more. ¡°Let''s get going! We have to get there before they kick us out anyway.¡±


    ¡°That''s the spirit!" Zooey began striding down the street, ¡°c''mon slow pokes!¡±


    Sophia let out a yawn, she was the least athletic in the group and the morning had already been an exciting one. ¡°How can she be this energetic so early?¡±


    ¡°I often ask myself,¡± Alexandra laughed as she watched Zooey bound down the street with indomitable energy, ¡°but thinking about it just makes me tired.¡±


    The rest of the group followed, albeit at a slightly more leisurely pace. It was a long walk to the Garden, this would not be less than a full day all told. As they walked, the buildings were becoming less decrepit the closer they drew to the border of the slums. Soon enough they would be in the city proper where the ''civilized'' folk lived.


    ¡°What do you think your pendant really is?¡± Sophia inquired as they made their way, ¡°why do you think it scared that man so much?¡±


    ¡°Maybe she''s like a lost queen or something!¡± Luca''s mind was filled with castles and treasures with that idea.


    ¡°I don''t know,¡± shrugged Alexandra, ¡°I wouldn''t trust a thing that noble said. But, I do come from a Noble House, House Benham. Maybe it''s just some random item from there, from my father"


    ¡°He might have been a noble,¡± Sophia reasoned, ¡°how else would he have given you such a beautiful pendant?¡±


    ¡°Or he stole it,¡± Alexandra was desperate to find out who her father was but did not harbor any great love for him because of his absence. ¡°Probably stole it from a House and gave it to my mother to impress her. Maybe that''s why she was exiled, she had been with a criminal.¡±


    ¡°Alex, don''t think like that. Don''t make any snap judgments until you know, and we will know soon.¡± Sophia gently cautioned her.


    ¡°Unless they won''t let us in,¡± Luca said without thinking.


    Sophia flicked him on the ear like a mother would a child, eliciting a yelp.


    ¡°They don''t have any right to not let you in," she continued. ¡°The Watchers have to see you.¡±


    Alexandra still saw only patterns on her pendant, no words on it anywhere. ¡°But this isn''t a name relic, they only look at name relics.¡±


    Fear flashed up inside Alexandra, tears starting to escape her eyes as the troubles she felt threatened to spill out.


    ¡°They''ll look.¡± Sophia''s voice was as calm as a summer breeze. ¡°It''s something special, that''s been proven already.¡±


    For his part, Luca thought lying seemed like an easy way in. ¡°Just tell them it''s a name relic.¡±


    ¡°I won''t lie,¡± Alexandra resolved. ¡°We''re probably going to be in enough trouble as is, I don''t want to add to it.¡±


    A shout from slightly up ahead interrupted them.


    ¡°You guys are slow!¡± Zooey''s playfully-taunting voice echoed back down the street at them.


    ¡°You''re too fast!¡± Luca called back.


    ¡°Slow!¡± came the laughing response.


    Alexandra couldn''t help but chuckle as she turned to Sophia. ¡°We''d better hurry or she''ll get there before us.¡±


    ¡°Yes, she''ll get everything sorted by herself if we don''t catch up.¡±


    ¡°I''m not sure we want that,¡± Luca was imagining Zooey causing all sorts problems with her brash nature, ¡°she''ll probably pick a fight with the first soldier she sees!¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Alexandra picked up her pace, ¡°this is going to one interesting day.¡±


    The sun was inching higher in the sky, clearing the steam stacks of Coal City. Large plumes of thick steam stretched high into the sky before being blown away by unseen winds. The slums were coming alive with activity, the beggars emerging from their alleys, the other residents of the slums opening the windows to their hovels. The shops were open for business, selling their stale and stolen wares to the destitute inhabitants of the area. During the day, the slums proper were not a scary place by any means, as long as one watched their step. Many people lived in the slums from men to woman and children, entire families sometimes even.


    Many of the Oonskat were making their way north east towards the Market District, a morning ritual that Alexandra and her friends were well-acquainted with. The noise from the Market could be heard this far away already, the merchants loudly hawking their wares. Even so, they still had a long way to walk before they even reached the Garden.


    Between the slums and the Garden there was the large expanse of commoner housing and shops. While the Market District was the main center of commerce in the entire nation, other shops could be found on almost every street of Avindr, catering to those unable to make it to the Market District, or those who simply wanted something a little quieter, less of an overwhelming crowd while they pursued the items for sale. These ''corner stores'' were usually a little less pricey than those in the Market District and easier to access for the very same reason. The Oonskat begged in the Market District but were usually able to find one of the smaller stores that would sell to them. Because these stores were outside the main shopping area, they could not afford to be as snooty and choosy with their customers. It was in one of these little stores that Zooey had been able to purchase her rusty dagger from several years ago for the large sum of twenty-five pennies; all her money for an entire month''s worth of begging and doing odd jobs.


    The ragtag group trudged on through the slums towards the Gardens, the slums becoming less and less decayed the closer they got closer to the rest of the city. It was only an hour later when they crossed over the invisible line that demarcated the slums on one side, and the rest of Avindr on the other. The buildings were better kept, actual green from plants in windows and growing along the side of the road gave a welcome color to the city view. Stepping across the threshold, they were now strangers in a strange land, enemies in their own city even. It was not uncommon for the Oonskat in the slums to leave the slums to travel to other parts in the city, but they normally did not travel very far with the Market District being the usual destination.


    There was a crowd of Oonskat leaving the slums the same time as them, but they were moving north easterly towards the markets. Alexandra looked ahead to the east, the direction of the Garden. They stood for a moment at the mouth of the slums, the rest of the city stretching out before them as an unknown land. No one wanted to take the first step forward, the first real step towards the Garden and to possible danger. Oonskat and commoners shuffled all around them, going about their morning routines, the sounds of a vast city coming alive ringing in the air.


    Alexandra took in a deep breath and stepped forward, the other leg shakily following.


    ¡°You guys can still go back home,¡± she turned to her three companions.


    ¡°We''re with you,¡± Luca affirmed.


    Zooey sighed, ¡°no chance. I''m not going to let you go off and have this grand old adventure without me.¡±


    ¡°I''m in too,¡± Sophia nodded.


    ¡°You guys are incredible,¡± Alexandra shook her head, ¡°and a little crazy.¡±


    ¡°Yeah he is,¡± Zooey tapped Luca on the head.


    He tried to hit her back on the arm.¡°Look who''s talking!¡±


    ¡°We''d better get going or else this will just get worse,¡± Sophia cocked her head towards the two fighting almost-siblings.


    ¡°Okay then,¡± Alexandra turned back around to face the city. ¡°Here we go!¡±


    Step by step they moved farther away from the dilapidated familiar and into the up-scale unknown. The slums began falling behind as the rest of the city rose higher and higher, stretching out for miles before them. Each foot forward brought them farther out into a world quite unlike their own, a world previously that seemed so far away. They were exiles re-entering their original land, a land in which they were not welcome in.


    As they traveled through the commoner area of Avindr, which comprised most of the city, it struck Alexandra how different the lives were of the people who lived in this respectable area. Self-igniting steam-powered lanterns lined the streets at regular intervals, the cobblestone of the streets was smooth and easy to walk on. The buildings on either side of the large sunny roads were well-maintained, flower pots sitting in open windows, the smell of food coming from many of the homes. They were astonished at how the other half lived; this was an area that felt safe, that felt warm.


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    It was a contrast of night and day from stepping out of the ignored slums into the real areas of the city. Even though they were was could be considered a ''middle-class'' area, the commoners, it was the most luxury they had ever seen. Just by social status, the commoners here were infinitely better off than the Oonskat. The people moving around them were not criminals or the destitute, they were farmers and housewives tradesmen and soldiers. The ceilings sliding by were free of holes and decay, copper pipes sticking out of them, some small and some large, all releasing gentle puffs of steam.


    On every block was also a large cylindrical pipe that jutted three feet out of the ground, had grated holes near the top on the sides, and a curved copper lid. These were connected under the ground to the great network of steam pipes that ran under most of the city like a labyrinthine serpent.


    One of the modern marvels of Prydanian engineering and imagination was the providing of steam power to almost every house in the capitol. Pipes ran under the city from large engines in Coal City to the rest of Avindr bringing steam power to the shops and homes. These large pipes on the street corners were to vent the pressure in case production outweighed demand at any given moment. It is a brilliant design that is hailed as ahead of its time, which is ironic because the actual design was created centuries before. It is said that the design that the inventors at the capitol''s college used to create this impressive and useful creation was based on a document discovered in an ancient vault of texts.


    It is also rumored that this old text came from Fru Alstad, and was included in one of the last courier shipments from that mythical lost city of inventions to the capitol. Denied by the college, the rumors and gossip still persist but have died down as everyone has taken the provided steam for granted.


    No more do people have to have dangerous fires in their homes to create the necessary energy to perform tasks or live comfortably, it is now piped to them at a consistent and never-failing basis. This steam that was brought to every home or shop was used for any need the inhabitants needed, from cooking to recreation. Once the steam was at any particular building, it was siphoned off into numerous smaller pipes that fed all manner of items and gadgets. It was used to heat stoves, warm baths, provide heat on cold days, and also to propel everything from toys to keeping rocking chairs rocking.


    The steam network was the greatest public works project in memory: it revolutionized Avindr and brought a whole new level of comfort and ease to the city. With almost every building in Avindr being provided with this daily necessity, there are those who have purposefully been neglected: the Oonskat in the slums and Dark District. The slums because it was deemed that they were not worth the time or comfort, and the Dark District because the workers refused to enter that insidious zone.


    Sophia jumped back as they passed one of the larger corner pipes as it let off a gust of steam, catching her unawares and blowing her hair all around her.


    ¡°You okay there?¡± Alexandra caught her friend before she fell backwards completely.


    ¡°I am,¡± she panted for breath, ¡°I just... it''s so different from when I was here as a child, everything''s nicer.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah,¡± Luca recalled Sophia''s upbringing, ¡°you were a commoner at first. Did you live in this area?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± she looked around the unfamiliar streets. ¡°I think I was born farther south, down closer by the docks.¡±


    ¡°When you were adopted into House Bradana,¡± Zooey slowed her step slightly so she''d be closer to the others, "¡±did you live on a country estate or here in the city still?¡±


    ¡°Mostly here,¡± she smiled at the thought of happier times. ¡°House Bradana likes to be seen at social events and by commoners and, well us, the Oonskat. They''re really a small family, not a lot of soldiers or wealth anymore. They just mostly have their old estates and land, plus their titles. So we mostly were here in the city so we could attend every ball, every event, but we went to the country estate sometimes whenever Lady Bradana would become tired of the crowds.¡±


    The memories of of childhood came rushing back as a torrent.


    ¡°Oh it''s so beautiful there, I wish I could take you all. It''s one of the oldest country estates besides maybe House Archdeacon''s, but that''s been abandoned nowof course, so I guess that makes the Bradana estate the best. The actual building has huge pillars, tall ceilings, and the most wonderful engravings everywhere. Warm fireplaces and thick carpets you could just fall asleep on. I wish we could live there, I wish I could be there with you all.¡±


    ¡°Wow, I''ve never heard you talk so much about House Bradana.¡± Alexandra was amazed at the sudden outpouring, Sophia was usually very quiet about her past, it was something that shamed her despite none if it being her fault.


    ¡°It was so peaceful,¡± Sophia couldn''t stop, the images of her happier past flashing before her eyes. ¡°I''d run in the fields around the estate all day then fall asleep in front of the fire on the rug, reading any book I wanted, they had so many books! It was heaven every day, something I didn''t deserve.¡±


    "You did," Alexandra gave her hand a reassuring squeeze before Sophia could dwell on the negative too much, ¡°and they were wrong for taking it away from you, and...¡±


    ¡°Sounds stuffy,¡± Zooey tried to make it sound like she didn''t care. ¡°I''d be bored to tears.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you''d probably go stir crazy there!¡± Sophia finally laughed.


    ¡°Besides, our place has a skylight so you can see the stars at night,¡± Alexandra playfully referenced the large hole that existed in the roof of their hovel which let in rain and wind all the time.


    ¡°How far is the Bradana estate from here?¡± inquired Luca.


    ¡°It''s quite a few miles,¡± Sophia tried to picture the long carriage rides from years before, ¡°north a bit I think. It would a good day''s travel to get there from the city. We''d leave early in the morning and arrive by sundown, the servants preparing baths and our rooms for us.¡±


    The locations of the country estates of the Noble Houses were not commonly known by the general population to prevent commoners from gawking or tourists. The merchants and nomads who traveled the byways of the nation of course knew where they were, but to the average city folk, they were far away and unknown. The Nobles liked their secluded retreats, they enjoyed being free from the public eye when they were not politely fighting each other to be recognized in the public eye more.


    House Bradana''s estate was one of the most opulent and luxurious, built when the family was a powerful and wealthy one. It was only bested in wonder by the estate of House Archdeacon, the former leading house of the nation. The Archdeacon estate was the site of the shocking attack that slaughtered the family and left Prydain in disarray. Since that fateful day that destabilized the nation until House Cornelius stepped in to control the country lest it fall to complete chaos, the estate has been avoided, a dark mark on the map.


    Blamed on land pirates, the attack was unprecedented: no one could understand how pirates overcame Archdeacon''s elite soldiers, and why even did they attack? Was it for Archdeacon''s substantial treasures? Was it part of a rebellion that never happened? No one knew, and no one was likely to know; it was a paralyzing moment for the country and one they wanted to move on from and not look back. Since then, no other estates had been attacked. There was of course always the dangers of thieves, but nothing even coming close to what happened that night at the Archdeacon Estate.


    House Bradana''s estate was south of the Archdeacon estate, but north of the capitol. The old and comfort-loving leaders of House Bradana disdained travel and preferred to not embark on a journey longer than a day. The Bradana Estate was built on the ancient site of a township that existed when Arkland united the land of Brithwyr, when a man with the last name of Bradana was the town''s leader and was then chosen as a regional governor by Arkland.


    The rest from there is history as House Bradana became very powerful and retained its position was other Houses fell apart and new ones were created. Finally the Houses as they exist today in structure and number solidified and House Bradana''s leaders took it easy. Lax control and over-spending led to a drastic reduction in the House''s influence until it dwindled to what it is today: a figurehead, a monument to times long past.


    ¡°Watch where you''re going pig!¡± the merchant barked at Zooey who had accidentally bumped into the cart of produce he was pushing.


    ¡°Hey, you want to...¡± Zooey was beginning to posture when Alexandra jumped in.


    ¡°We''re very sorry sir, please forgive the transgression. I hope none of your food is any worse off from the bump.¡±


    ¡°Oonskat swine!¡± The man spit on the ground and marched off angrily with his cart.


    Luca let out his breath he had been holding. ¡°Whew, "that went well.¡±


    ¡°I''m surprised we haven''t had more trouble so far," Alexandra looked around at the glares they were receiving the crowd of commoners all around them, ¡°we definitely are not welcome here.¡±


    Zooey was giving her own mean looks back to the crowd. ¡°They don''t have any right to send us back to the slums.¡±


    ¡°There''s nothing saying they can''t kick us out either,¡± Alexandra whispered.


    ¡°They certainly are staring.¡± Luca felt uncomfortable being the center of unwanted attention.


    ¡°Some of these people have probably never seen one of us outside of the Market.¡± Alexandra was of course referring to the Oonskat, the unwanted.


    Sophia tried to reign her friend in. ¡°Don''t be mean to them Zooey. These people haven''t done anything to you. We''re different and they''re curious.¡±


    ¡°They hate us.¡±


    The venom was evident in Zooey''s voice.


    ¡°Let them,¡± Alexandra said firmly, ¡°don''t hate back, just be better than them.¡±


    ¡°Why? They don''t see us as anything but dirt! Animals!¡± Zooey railed.


    ¡°Don''t prove them right,¡± Alexandra put her hand on Zooey''s, the one that was on the hilt of her dagger, ¡°don''t give the soldiers any reason to get involved. We''re just ordinary people moving through the city.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I''m fine,¡± Zooey took in a deep breath to calm down, moving her hand away from her blade.


    ¡°We are drawing quite the crowd,¡± observed Sophia, ¡°perhaps we should move on quickly.¡±


    She was correct, their presence here had attracted much attention as word quickly was spread that there were Oonskat this far away from the slums. People came from nearby streets to look at the outcasts, to see what dredges of society looked like, a morbid curiosity compelled to see why the Oonskat were there in their midst. It was surprising though how many people were gathering to see them.


    ¡°We have a long way to go,¡± Luca figured they were not even halfway to the Garden yet, ¡°it''ll take another few hours just to get there¡±


    ¡°We''ll be more of a spectacle the closer we to the Garden, we should try to go as unnoticeable as possible. Sophia gave them caution.


    ¡°It''ll be hard with everyone standing around staring. It''s like they''ve never seen a person before!¡± Zooey said the last part especially loudly, giving a side-eye to still-growing crowd of onlookers.


    Alexandra quieted her down, ¡°keep it cool, we can''t be thrown out or else I''ll never find out about my pendant. Please don''t provoke anyone or get the soldiers interested in us. Let''s just get to the Watchers as quickly as possible.¡±


    ¡°You''re going to the Watchers?¡± a refined woman''s voice broke suddenly into their circle.


    Alexandra spun around to see where this new voice was coming from. Standing a few feet away from there, a leather bag of groceries in her satin-glove covered hands, stood a woman in a beautiful ankle-length dress. Her brunette hair was done up in a series of intricate bows, her blue dress adorned with gold lace sewn into the material in delicate crisscrossing patterns. Her skin was fair and soft-looking, not a blemish on it. She looked to be just under six feet tall, her deep hazel eyes looking at the four of them intently. Just by her appearance, Alexandra could tell that this woman was important, not an ordinary commoner, for she carried herself in a regal manner.


    ¡°I''m sorry ma''am?¡± Alexandra could not believe that such a beautiful and obviously wealthy woman would deem to engage in conversation with a group of Oonskat, she affected the most deferential tone she could, not wanting to stir more trouble.


    ¡°I was listening just now,¡± the woman replied, ¡°it''s odd to see a group of your kind here this far in the city. I wonder what brings you out from your dilapidated district and hovels to bravely walk these streets of everyone else?¡±


    Letting the slight provocation slide past, Alexandra answered truthfully.


    ¡°We are heading to the Garden.¡±


    ¡°The Garden? Now this is an oddity indeed,¡± the woman was still smiling despite the usually-shocking news she had just been told, ¡°I don''t think there''s ever been an Oonskat inside the Garden. Now I ask myself, what is it that would draw four Oonskat away from the shadows of the slums to venture out here, a place they are usually not seen in? You have of coursed notice the attention you''re drawing by just being here, does that bother you at all?¡±


    ¡°Not really,¡± it did bother Alexandra a little but she tried to ignore the feelings of being stared at by so many, ¡°kind of used to it actually by now, every time we''re in the Market.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± the woman laughed a little, though it seemed not a cynical laugh though. ¡°I forgot, that would likely be the case, you are right. You''re a bit of an unusual item for everyone here, you can''t blame them for being curious about the other half.¡±


    ¡°The other half they help create and maintain every day,¡± Alexandra blurted out, realizing just a little too late she might have overstepped the bounds of polite conversation, she took a breath, gathering herself. ¡°I''m sorry ma''am, it''s not my place to judge.¡±


    The woman was indeed impressed with these young ones, eyeing the group with more than interest, as if trying to discern something.


    ¡°Right you are, everyone here in the city maintains the social strata as they are. And since you are part of the system, you have every right to judge. Are you bitter?¡±


    ¡°I''m sorry?¡± Alexandra could not believe she was being questioned by this woman, and for what reason?


    ¡°Are you bitter? Are you angry at me and everyone else who does nothing to help you but maybe in fact keep you where you are in your miserable place?¡±


    Luca, Zooey, and Sophia were not sure what was going on; Zooey heightened her senses in case there was an ambush or a sudden rush of soldiers.


    Alexandra was puzzled, the woman''s voice was not malicious, she was not conveying disgust, but she could not understand the meaning behind her questions.


    ¡°What point is there in being angry? It stinks, it''s a bad life, but I''m alive and I have my friends. I''m sad maybe, sad at the way people look down on us and treat us because of nothing we''ve done. My friend''s don''t deserve the life they have.¡±


    This strange woman was impressed with the answers she was receiving, Alexandra always spoke eloquently, a voice and reason that was born to another place. Hey eyes searched for something deeper.


    ¡°Your friend''s don''t deserve it you say, then what about you?¡±


    ¡°I can''t say,¡± the woman seemed surprised by this answer, but not displeased by it, ¡°it''s hard, but since I was given to this life before I could walk or talk, I can''t speak to the reasons behind it.¡±


    ¡°Your words are years beyond you, you seem more reasonable than most around here,¡± Alexandra was taken aback by the compliment, but this stranger continued without pausing, ¡°now, you said you were going to see the Watchers, yes?¡±


    ¡°We are,¡± nodded Alexandra, the others staying quiet, not knowing what to say to someone of such obviously high social stature as this, ¡°only they can answer an important question I have.¡±


    ¡°The Watchers do not usually entertain guests, especially not to answer questions from the Oonskat, in fact never,¡± the woman said flatly, her gaze steely. ¡°How important is this question you have?¡±


    Alexandra''s eyes burned with determination.


    "It''s about my father"


    The woman looked at her for a moment, looked into her eyes, then her expression finally softened once more. "I believe you. My, it does sound terribly important. And who are these people with you, your friends, they too have important questions?¡±


    ¡°We''re her friends and we''re with her,¡± Luca stepped forward and declared, the woman smiled.


    ¡°You have good friends... er, I am sorry, I do not know what to call you.¡±


    ¡°How about Oonskat,¡± Zooey muttered under her breath, fearing the woman''s insults were inevitably coming soon.


    ¡°Zooey,¡± Alexandra elbowed her in the ribs, ¡°ma''am, this is Zooey, Sophia, and Luca. I''m Alexandra.¡±


    ¡°Alexandra?¡± the woman thought about the name. "So it is. Let me not be rude, my name is Elita, Lady Elita Divorna.¡±


    ¡°The Noble House Divorna!¡± Sophia whispered to Alexandra with alarm.


    This was a Named Noble before them, one at the heights of society. This person could have them imprisoned or killed on a whim and just with a word.


    ¡°Ma''am,¡± was all Alexandra could say, shocked at who this woman was before them, she quickly bowed her head.


    Lady Elita Divorna was the powerful wife of the head of Noble House of the Family Divorna. House Divorna was not one of the older Houses, but was brought into being several centuries after Arkland united the land of Brithwyr into the nation of Prydain. At the time, a tradesman named Richard Divorna helped tame a particularly unruly region that sat near the mysterious planes Distansera.


    Through establishing trade and encouraging economy, Richard Divorna helped stabilize the region and in gratitude towards the tradesman, the Landskyp proclaimed his family a Noble House, and added his last name to the Watcher''s list of noble families. Since then, House Divorna has maintained a respected position in the Landskyp and with the commoners as well.


    One of the few voices to argue against the recent taxation and trade restrictions imposed by House Cornelius in the Landskyp, House Divorna is seen as fair and a friend to the ordinary citizens of Prydain. Because of its background in the trades business, House Divorna has also built up an enviable fortune, one certainly to make it a voice to be reckoned with in high society.


    Alexandra could barely speak: why was this noble woman speaking with a group of lowly Oonskat? Why was she being nice? It was unexpected and Alexandra did not know quite what to do, she had readied herself for only hostility from anyone they met on their way to see the Watchers but not this kind of encounter.


    ¡°You four look exhausted from walking all this way,¡± Lady Divorna''s description of their fatigue was not an exaggeration, ¡°and there''s still such a long way to the Garden from here. Come along, you four follow along with me now.¡±


    She turned and began walking down a side street to the right of the road they were on that led to another large thoroughfare as if the matter was decided. Without protest or remark but with quite a lot of bewilderment, Alexandra and her friends did begin to follow after her. Alexandra was not sure why, but this woman was kind to them and it seemed best to not anger a member of a powerful and well-liked Noble House, their lives quite literally could hang on her words.


    Replaying the conversation in her head, it was a mystery to Alexandra. She could not work out what this woman wanted. Maybe she was leading them into a trap? Maybe she was delaying them just to be cruel? Whatever the reason was, they were following the Lady Divorna towards another even busier street than the one they were previously on. Their feet hurt, Sophia had to stop several times because of cuts in her feet.


    The walking was starting to get to Alexandra too, her legs felt like they were on fire, protesting every step they were forced to take. People were still watching them; now that the group was comprised of a Named noble woman and four Oonskat, they were even more of an impossible group and object of curiosity. Leaning out of doors and windows on both sides of the street, the commoners stopped what they were doing to watch them walk past, talking to each other in soft whispered tones Alexandra could not make out. People were pointing, whispering, looking very surprised naturally. Alexandra chalked that up to the fact that a noble woman was willingly being seen with four Oonskat who were already ridiculously out of place. Whatever the reasons Lady Divorna had, they followed her until they reached the largest street they had ever seen.


    Hundreds of people were moving past the road, shops and stalls lining each side of the street. Archways and huge multi-story stone buildings towered above their heads. Some carriages pulled by horses were making their way through the mess of people. It looked even busier than the Market District, more people then Alexandra had ever though could be assembled in one place. Homes, shops, restaurants lined the streets in large and well-kept buildings, not a hint of soot on them anywhere. The windows were clean, and the rest of the buildings looked the same, free of the commonplace decay and rot you would find in the slums.


    Workman went about their way, some emerging from shops, others traveling to and from home from Coal City. Tradesmen here hawked all manner of items, from the established storefronts or the stalls setup on the sides of the road. This was one of the five main roads of the capitol that stretched all the way from the Garden to Coal City, one of the major arteries of trade and travel within the magnificent capitol.


    One of the things on this busy road that instantly caught Alexandra''s eye was what looked like a kind of horseless carriage on the side of the road. Between the sidewalks and the actual street were small open trenches in the ground that ran the length of the street. Occasionally, extending out of these trenches was a gold-colored metal pole that became a ''t'' shape a foot or so off of the ground and supported seven padded chairs on its crossbeam. Once people were sitting in these chairs, steam would shoot out from the trench and the hole apparatus would shoot along at a good speed down the street. It was the most incredible invention Alexandra had ever seen, it was almost magic, nothing like this existed in the slums.


    She was truly shocked if this level of comfort and ease was available to everyone else in the city, it seemed like a whole different land entirely. The trenches these devices moved along also extended down the larger side streets as well allowing a greater range of conveyance and also allowed multiple of these people movers to operate in close proximity at the same time. Luca stood still, taking in the wonder he saw before them, trying to wrap his brain around the technological achievement he was seeing for the first time.


    Lady Divorna walked up to an unoccupied row of seats and turned to them.


    ¡°Come on,¡± she patted the soft padding, ¡°have a seat.¡±


    ¡°I''ve never seen...¡± Alexandra'' words trailed as she stood in awe as another row of seats bearing people past by them, puffs of steam in their wake.


    ¡°Oh of course, I do apologize,¡± Lady Divorna laughed, ¡°you would never see anything like this normally. My, the things we take for granted here that is spectacular to you. They''re called a flytter; they help immensely with all the foot traffic, helps people get about faster and easier. I don''t know what state my shoes would be in if these weren''t around.¡±


    Lady Divorna instantly regretted that comment, looking at Alexandra''s bare and swollen feet, and those of her friends. Lady Divorna''s own feet were comfortably encased in gold-encrusted high-heels with satin on the interior, just a typical item of clothing for the nobility and something she would never think twice about.


    Alexandra looked about the huge and busy street. ¡°This is amazing.¡±


    ¡°Come on,¡± Lady Divorna motioned once more at the empty seats, ¡°come sit down with me.¡±


    ¡°Are we allowed to ma''am?¡± Sophia finally spoke up, fearfully looking around to see if someone would yell at them for sitting on the flytter.


    ¡°I say come on,¡± authority rang in Lady Divorna''s words and Alexandra followed by her friends quickly made their way over and hopped onto the cushioned seats without further protest.


    ¡°Ma''am!¡± a man in worker''s clothes suddenly bounded over, he was an engineer that helped keep the flytter moving quickly and without bumps or slowdowns.


    ¡°A problem my good workman?¡± Lady Divorna''s voice was soft as the man nervously bowed his head to his better, removing his sweat-stained cap.


    ¡°Ma''am, these...¡± her looked at Alexandra, Zooey, Sophia, and Luca. ¡°These are Oonskat, just look at them. Filthy little monsters. Ma''am, it is not becoming for someone as noble as yourself to be seen with them, and to have them on a flytter.. It''s just insanity my lady.¡±


    ¡°Sir,¡± Alexandra was surprised that this woman of great power was still calling a simple workman ''sir'', "are you telling me who I should be seen with? You tell the Lady of a Noble House her business and her intents?¡±


    Her voice was still soft and polite, but an unmistakable edge had crept into it, one that broached no reproach.


    The man realized he had grossly overstepped his place. ¡°No ma''am, I''m sorry, it''s just, they..."


    ¡°They are traveling with me,¡± she cut him off, ¡°and that is the end to it. Or sir, would you eject me from the flytter¡±


    "Never! No ma''am, I would never..." the man was sweating, the blood draining from his face at the mere thought.


    ¡°Then let us be done with this talk, please do not impede me further.¡±


    ¡°Of course your ladyship! I...I meant no offense!¡± The man kept his head bowed and took a few quick nervous steps back away from the flytter.


    This exchange had drawn an even larger crowd of onlookers. Audibly wondering too each other why Lady Elita Divorna was being seen with and conversing with four dirty little Oonskat. The looks on the people¡¯s faces around were not so much disgust as Alexandra would have expected, but those of curiosity, surprise, and utter bewilderment.


    ¡°Luca, it was my dear?¡± Lady Divorna leaned forward to see Luca who was seated at the opposite end of the flytter.


    ¡°Yes ma''am!¡± Luca replied with great exuberance sitting ramrod straight, proud that a noble woman such as Lady Divorna would speak with him and knew his name.


    ¡°Please be a sweetheart and pull the lever that''s on the side next to your seat.¡±


    Luca leaned over the hand-rest to find a large level jutting out from the crossbar next to him. He gripped it firmly and pulled it back. A gust of steam shot out from the trench under their seats and they suddenly began moving! Starting slowly at first at the pace of a leisurely walk, they picked up speed and were very soon jetting along the side of the large street at the speed of a good run.


    Lady Divorna laughed to herself as she saw her four new companions each gripping their handrails with a white knuckles, fearful to let go, lest they be flung off. Alexandra''s heart was beating oh so fast, partly because of this incredible contraption they were now riding on, but also because each second brought them closer to the Garden and to the Watchers, to the answers about her father and past.


    The cool morning breeze was refreshing as the sights and sounds of the city flew past all around them; they could almost imagine they were flying. Even Zooey was smiling unashamedly, loving every second of this wonderful and new experience.


    ¡°Lady Divorna ma''am?¡± Alexandra, who was seated next to the noblewoman, leaned over. ¡°May I ask you something?¡±


    Lady Divorna looked at her, seemed to be studying her face for a moment before snapping out of her thoughts, ¡°yes of course dear. What is you would know of me?¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Why what exactly? Why is the sky blue? Why are trees green? Why is a very big question with very specific answers.¡±


    It was now Zooey''s turn to elbow Alexandra, ¡°don''t blow a good thing!¡±


    ¡°It''s quite alright,¡± Lady Divorna held of up her hand, ¡°I know what you are asking. I was just playing with you and I apologize. What it is you are wondering is why myself, a Named Lady of House Divorna would help or even speak with four Oonskat? Is that the question?¡±


    ¡°Well yes ma''am," Alexandra nodded. "I didn''t expect anyone to show us any kindness here, in fact I was expecting to already have been set upon by people who are offended to see me and my friends here. I don''t understand why you lower yourself to be seen with us?¡±


    ¡°Truthfully,¡± Lady Divorna leaned closer to Alexandra as well, ¡°it is your look. You remind me of someone I knew in what seems like ages ago.¡±


    ¡°Who do I remind you of?¡±


    ¡°It''s not important,¡± Lady Divorna waived off the question, sitting back in her seat. ¡°But I knew I had to help you. Besides, I already know you''re going to see the Watchers about a certain pendant you have on your neck this very moment.¡±


    Alexandra'' hand flew up to her chest and she gripped the pendant through her raggedy and dirty blouse.


    Zooey''s hand equally had moved to her dagger, her eyes now wholly fixed on the stranger in the


    ¡°Don''t worry,¡± Lady Divorna added quickly sensing the sudden chilling of the mood. ¡°I do not mean to steal it from you or anything such as that. That would be a tragedy.¡±


    ¡°If I may ask,¡± Alexandra relaxed her grip on the pendant and giving a quick nod to Zooey, ¡°how do you know about that? I have not breathed a word of it to anyone save my friends, and certainly no one here would talk with us.¡±


    ¡°A little runt by the name of Lerrick Cornelius.¡± Lady Divorna suddenly spoke the name none of them were expecting to ever hear again.


    Sophia quickly put her arms around herself and looked down at the fast-moving ground beneath, shivering, the memories of the terrible night before rising up in her mind. Zooey put her hand firmly on Sophia''s shoulder, snapping her back to the present.


    Lady Divorna continued with her story, ¡°little Lerrick apparently got his just deserts doing something not spoken of in polite company. The rumor among the Houses is that he was in the Dark District indulging in sinful fare. He came stumbling from the directions of the slums, running as fast as he could to House Cornelius'' estate in the Garden, the whole time yelling at the top of his lungs. He seemed quite disturbed, screaming something about an Oonskat girl, a pendant, relics, and how it was impossible. I''m not sure what it all means, it is kind of a confusing mess, but it was quite the commotion. It awoke many of the Nobles in their homes in the Garden. It must have been something important though, the lights were on at the Cornelius estate in the Garden all night with messengers coming and going. It''s been all the talk this morning among the Landskyp, it''s quite juicy gossip. I dare say the commoners have also caught wind of it. Well why wouldn''t they given the way he ran all the way across the city yelling at the top of his lungs. When I saw four Oonskat this far away from the slums heading in the direction of the Garden, I could only assume that you were the one that Lerrick Cornelius was so upset about.¡±


    ¡°So everyone knows?¡± Alexandra suddenly realized why there were always crowds watching them, much more than there should have been for just a group of out-of-place outcasts.


    ¡°Yes, that''s probably why you''ve been of such interest to everyone.¡±


    ¡°But,¡± frowned Alexandra, ¡°that still doesn''t explain why you''re helping us.¡±


    ¡°You remind me of someone,¡± Lady Divorna was concise and short, ¡°and I think something wonderful is about to happen. Now no more questions, just enjoy your first ride on a flytter; we''ll be at the Garden in no time at all.¡±


    It was all just blur. Houses, stores, people... it was all just a blur to Alexandra as they flew past before her eyes. The sounds of the giant city and even the sound of the flytter she was sitting on faded away until there was nothing but the beating of her heart. The pounding in her ears, the relentless drumming from inside her chest, it was all she could hear.


    Even the blur before her eyes slowly lost colour and became simply a gray motion, undefined shapes just moving past. She could see out of the corner of her the eye that Luca and Sophia were talking; it looked liked Zooey was trying to tell a joke to Lady Elita Divorna, probably an not one for polite society one she had picked up in the slums. But even so, Alexandra could hear none of it. While the city fell past at speed, it seemed her friends were in slow motion, everything was almost standing still on the flytter, at least for her. Questions barged their way into the waking mind, out of the shadows of the subconscious, blowing past all other thoughts in their way.


    Did he love me?


    She thought of her father, the paternal figure she had never known. Only half-told stories from her mother, who always seemed to be reluctant to talk about it. It had infuriated Alexandra when she was younger, she had never gotten a straight answer on the subject. Even on her mother''s deathbed, she denied answering the question.


    Was he ashamed of me?


    Even though she was exiled just at birth, the fact that her and her mother¡¯s banishment was her fault was never far from her thoughts. A baby could not do anything shameful, but maybe it was the fact she was born was shameful enough. Who could he be? Only theories and speculations existed in the space where that knowledge should lie.


    ¡°Why did he give me this?¡± she felt her hand tighten its grip on her pendant as she whispered to no one, "why did he not give me any time with him. He didn''t share a life with me, but he gave me this.¡±


    Her mother had only told her one thing about her father: the pendant was a gift from him to her. When pressed for more information, her mother, Eloise Benham, would become quiet and simply say "it''s not important now," or "it''s for the best this way". This had caused Alexandra on more than one occasion when she was younger to scream at her mother, feeling betrayed that her father was being kept from her. She felt guilty about those times now that her mother was gone. She wished she had been nicer, maybe tried to understand things from her mother''s point of view; something she had never done as a child.


    ¡°Where was he?¡± the question flooded her mind again, followed by it''s even worse brother: ¡°where was he when they hurt me?¡±


    Her hand slipped over her shoulder and onto her back where the tattoo of the ''Benham'' name was burned in.


    She winced a little as her fingers touched it through the think material of her blouse; because of the metals used when giving her the tattoo, the skin there was always sore. Where was her father when they took a baby and gave it a horrific metal tattoo, where was he? Alexandra could not understand how anyone could do that to a child. Her mother had never even told her why they were exiled, why she was tattooed, why her father did not stop it.


    Alexandra imagined what it would be like to meet her father, she imagined what kind of man he might be. Would he have red hair like hers? She was angry, bitter that he had never revealed himself to her, but the prospect of finding out some real answers for the first time outweighed any darker thoughts on the matter. She was trying to picture him in her head, just like she had done as a child, trying to scrape together an image of what he might look like. Her mother had deep brown hair, the red must have come from her father. Would he be tall short? Would he be a gentleman or a bum, would he be rich or a pauper.


    Would he love her?


    The sight of their flytter must have certainly turned every head it passed: four dirt-covered Oonskat and one of the most respected noblewomen of the nation sitting and talking together. It was a sight witnessed never, a mixing of the classes that simply did not occur. The Oonskat never traveled very far into the city outside of the slums, and the nobility would never lower themselves to be seen with or talk with an outcast.


    Word of mouth news and gossip grew even louder concerning the mysterious Oonskat girl that had sent young Lerrick Cornelius into such an uncontrollable frenzy the night before. He had traversed half the city yelling his incoherent thoughts, enough people had been woken up by it to verify the truth in the rumor. Now suddenly four Oonskat, including a girl such as Lerrick was supposed to have described, were riding on a flytter towards the Garden accompanied by the Lady of a Noble House!


    The fires of the gossip ignited even hotter and spread quickly throughout the city. Merchants talked about it with their customers, commoners passing each other on flytters spread the news, soldiers even talked about it as they overlapped each other on patrol. Avindr was a hotbed of news and gossip and right now at the moment, it was all focused on a lone Oonskat girl.


    Despite an official statement from House Cornelius posted in the busiest areas of the city stating that Lerrick had taken ill and was under the terrors of the illness when he made the scene the previous night, the rumor-mill refused to die down but in fact was working overtime. Given the sighting of the Oonskat with Lady Divorna on a flytter near the Garden, it only furthered to confirm the gossip and ignite greater interest.

 Inside The Garden Of Good Or Evil

    ¡°We''re there,¡± Zooey''s voice brought Alexandra out of her thoughts and back to the here and now.


    Turning her head to the left, Alexandra saw that the track that their flytter had been traveling down dead-ended at a stone alcove with large walls. Just a little right of the track was a large metal gate that two soldiers, one with a sword and one with a fearsome lance, were standing on either side of. The gates themselves were painted gold, the ivy that ran all along the walls also slipping onto the gate and obscuring parts of them, it looked to be very old.


    The gate was closed and the soldiers were now eyeing the occupants of the just-arrived flytter with great interest and suspicion.


    ¡°The Garden,¡± Sophia murmured, staring at the gold-topped rooftops just visible over the tops of the walls that now surrounded them.


    They were at one of the three gates that connected the upper-class ¡°Garden¡± with the rest of the city. Protected on all sides by a large wall and guarded gates, only Nobles, their servants, and others with special circumstances were typically allowed in. Despite there being no rules barring entry to anyone, the guards made sure only the well-to-do saw the inside of the lush Garden.


    Past the gate, Alexandra could see fountains, surrounded by green patches of grass and flower beds, the estates of the nobles and offices of the government farther behind those.


    ¡°Come along,¡± Lady Divorna was disembarking the flytter, paying no heed to the soldiers.


    ¡°They''re not just going to let us in,¡± Alexandra had seen the way the guards were looking at them, stares that betrayed great disdain without reserve.


    ¡°Nonsense,¡± Lady Divorna beckoned them to follow, ¡°I said come along¡±


    ¡°There''s four of us, I mean five...¡± Zooey trailed off, she was sizing up the opposition.


    ¡°Please don''t do anything dangerous Zooey,¡± Sophia pleaded, she did not like the look of the battle-ready soldiers.


    ¡°Don''t worry, I''ll protect you if anything happens.¡± Luca have vowed he''d be better at protecting the ones he cared for.


    ¡°Nothing''s going to happen,¡± Alexandra whispered, ¡°we just have to stay quiet and get inside.¡±


    ¡°What if she''s just leading us here to be arrested?!¡± Zooey shot a glance at Lady Divorna who was picking up her ornate bag of groceries from next to her seat on the flytter. ¡°Maybe she''s just toying with us because she''s a noble and they''re all just cruel bastards.¡±


    ¡°She seems nice,¡± Sophia did not believe that to be the case. ¡°I don''t think she''d do anything like that.¡±


    ¡°Zooey, can''t you cut anyone a break?¡± Alexandra chided her.


    ¡°Not nobles,¡± she scoffed, ¡°just look at their handiwork.¡±


    She was meaning the four of them.


    ¡°That''s unkind,¡± Alexandra responded, ¡°Lady Divorna here has been nothing but kind to us. You shouldn''t judge her like that.¡±


    ¡°We''ll see,¡± Zooey rolled her eyes, ¡°nobles are all the same, you know that.¡±


    ¡°Let''s go,¡± Alexandra motioned with a nod of her head, ¡°we shouldn''t get too far away from the Lady, especially not this close to the Garden, we''re even less welcome here.¡±


    They slid off the seats and their feet welcomed the feel of solid ground beneath them once more. The ride on the flytter was exciting but it was new and strange, the familiar sensation of the earth beneath their feet was a relief. Queuing up behind Lady Elita, Alexandra''s hand went without thinking to her pendant.


    It was all happening; they were so close.


    They stayed in a line behind the noblewoman, like ducklings following their mother in a pond all the way up to the closed gate and the soldiers awaiting them.


    The guards straightened themselves and one stood in front of Lady Divorna, ¡°good afternoon your Ladyship.¡±


    ¡°Good afternoon,¡± she nodded her head ever so slightly, a great sign of respect for a noble to do so to a soldier, ¡°please open the gate.¡±


    ¡°Of course Lady Divorna, but...¡± her leaned to the side to look at the company she had in tow, ¡°they must stay out here.¡±


    ¡°Don''t be foolish,¡± she still was as polite-sounding as ever, ¡°open the gate so we may enter.¡±


    ¡°Ma''am,¡± he was obviously nervous, sweat forming on his brow despite the cold morning, ¡°I don''t know if you realize this, but you have a group of Oonskat parasites with you.¡±


    The word hung in the air.


    ¡°You want me to deal with them ma''am?¡± the other guard stepped forward, bringing his lance level.


    ¡°Try it.¡± Zooey put her hand on her dagger but didn''t pull it yet.


    ¡°Let us knock the dust off of your coat ma''am,¡± the first soldier began drawing his sword now, Luca had his pocketknife out in a flash.


    The noblewoman cleared her throat.


    ¡°Pull your sword and you pull it at me.¡± Lady Divorna''s even tone was gentle but firm.


    ¡°But, your Lady!¡± the guard protested, realizing he was suddenly on very thin ice at that very moment.


    ¡°If your weapon is drawn, it is drawn at me,¡± she continued, the look on her face appearing to be totally unfazed. ¡°To my knowledge, a soldier has never taken arms against a noble, would you like to be the first? We shall discover together what the consequences might be for such an action.¡±


    The guard''s face looked suitably terrified as Lady Divorna continued without letting him get a word in, ¡°I see you''re a retainer of House Yelsife, a good family, even though you always do as House Cornelius says. I would be saddened to find House Yelsife suddenly be center of such a controversy, one of its soldiers committing treason against a named Noble.¡±


    Her voice, while still courteous now had the undercurrent of authority in it once more.


    Lady Divorna turned to the guard with the lance, ¡°and you, House Ghlamont judging by your tunic''s colours. Hmm, another in the Cornelius herd. Would you like to tempt fate by barring me access as well?¡±


    ¡°No ma''am!¡± he answered as quickly as he could get the words from his lips, pulling his lance away.


    ¡°Please enter your Ladyship,¡± the first guard sheathed his sword back all the way and began to pull the gate open.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± her voice was a sweet as honey once more, ¡°I will allow this incident to pass without mention. Come along children.¡±


    They were three steps towards the open Garden gate, Alexandra''s heart beating almost out of her chest when suddenly a third soldier came hurrying up from inside the Garden.


    ¡°What''s this!¡± he demanded, his face a deep scowl, ¡°Oonskat? Why is this gate open?!¡±


    ¡°Sir,¡± the Yelsife soldier bowed to the man who was obviously his superior, ¡°Lady Divorna...¡±


    ¡°Lady Divorna can enter, the Oonskat can crawl away,¡± the new soldier cut him off, giving a mean glare to Alexandra.


    ¡°Ah, your black and red tunic are quite distinctive Soldier Captain,¡± the noblewoman also respectfully gave a curt bow to the newcomer. ¡°House Cornelius. There is no issue here, these gentlemanly soldiers here were just doing their duty and opening this gate here for personage.¡±


    ¡°Not just yourself,¡± the soldier noticeably left off any respectful title when addressing Lady Divorna, ¡°I see you have a trail of little piggies following you.¡±


    Zooey''s brow became a deep frown, her eyes projecting her hate for the man who had just insulted them. She would say that she was mad because someone had denigrated her, but in reality, the secret she would never share is: she was angry because of what he called her friends. Fearing of being labeled a ''softy'' and losing her reputation as a fighter, Zooey would never let on to the fact, but deep down she was angry because of what the guard had just called Alexandra and Sophia and Luca.


    Alexandra gave her an urgent look, communicating to ''calm down'', this was not a matter they would be successful in. Their entry into the Garden rested solely on the whims of the guard and the words of Lady Elita Divorna.


    ¡°Please leave the runts here with us and be on your way,¡± the soldier from House Cornelius was not taking his gaze off of the four Oonskat, Alexandra specifically.


    ¡°I am entering and they are coming with me.¡± Lady Divorna would not budge, and stared right back at the man.


    ¡°We are charged with keeping the Garden at its best, free of unpleasant sights for the nobility. These Oonskat here have no place here, just as rats in a kitchen. Just be off to whatever tea appointment or fancy ball you have and let me handle these.¡±


    ¡°Ah yes,¡± Lady Divorna smiled, not a friendly on though, ¡°we all know how House Cornelius treats those they dislike. Why are you so concerned? Perhaps someone''s teatime will be interrupted by the surprise of seeing these for adorable ones in the Garden, but what does it matter? Lunch and tea can be made and had again. Or are you so adamant because of last night''s events?¡±


    The guard shifted, noticeably uncomfortable, ¡°that is nothing. These Oonskat are not entering the Garden; it is for nobles...for real people. We won''t stop you from entering but these offspring of whores won''t take another step.¡±


    Zooey''s blade was out in a moment.


    The House Cornelius soldier drew his sword and trained it on them, the distinctive release of steam from the grip of the sword indicating he was ready to strike at a moment''s notice. The other guards also leveled their weapons at them once more.


    Sophia put her arms around Zooey and buried her face in her back.


    ¡°Don''t!¡± she pleaded, ¡°don''t get hurt!¡±


    Luca stood at a moment of indecision, an insult that must be met had been made, he was old enough to know the rules of dignity demanded it. However, if he fought, he might damage Alexandra''s chances of finding out about her father. Swallowing the insult, Luca carefully folded his knife and replaced it back in his pocket, trying to let the anger pass over him.


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    Tears were in Alexandra''s eyes, her hands trembling. For what had just been said, the soldier deserved to be challenged, but Alexandra knew that fighting a fully-trained soldier would accomplish nothing. Her quest to discover her father had to override her pride, it had to take precedence.


    With a gulp, she straightened her blouse and stepped forward. Lady Divorna put her hand out to block her, but Alexandra turned slightly and by-passed it. She took three steps and was now at the sword-point of the soldier captain.


    She was aware that a crowd of commoners had formed behind them, everyone watching the unusual scene being played out at the gate. Were Oonskat really trying to get in the Garden? Was that girl with the red hair the girl everyone''s been talking about?


    ¡°I am here to see the Watchers,¡± she stated, trying to keep her voice even, doing everything within her power to hide her nervousness.


    ¡°I already know...¡± the soldier caught himself, ¡°er... I have no idea what you''re talking about. Why would a disgusting little rodent like you want to see the Watchers? I''m surprised you can even form a complete sentence.¡±


    Alexandra refused to rise to the soldier''s continued insults. ¡°I have a pendant that supposedly comes from noble origins. I am here so that the Watchers can view it and tell me where it came from.¡±


    Her secret was out in the open, there was no going back now.


    ¡°You even know about nobles and watchers?¡± the guard laughed, still trying to provoke her. ¡°Did you ever go to school to learn all this? Or did you just learn on your back?¡±


    Lady Divorna breathed in quickly, quickly putting a hand to her mouth. To say something in front of a noble woman such as herself was unheard of. For her part though, Alexandra stayed calm and cool as the words buffeted her.


    She took a deep breath.


    ¡°I have reason to believe because of a recent incident that this pendant might be something more than a pretty piece of jewelry, a noble told me in fact it was special. I am here so the Watchers can see it and tell me the truth that my pendant may hold. It may be nothing, but only they can say for certain.¡±


    ¡°She''s golden.¡± Sophia was proud of the way Alexandra was standing toe-to-toe to this guard, Lady Divorna nodded in agreement, also amazed with Alexandra.


    ¡°The Watchers only see Name Relics,¡± the soldier captain countered, thinking fast, ¡°they don''t just look at every odd and end that sewer rats find among the muck.¡±


    ¡°Lerrick Cornelius told me for certain that it was name relic,¡± Alexandra bent the truth slightly.


    The crowd gathered behind gasped and whispers immediately began to rise up as this new development began to spread.


    ¡°He didn''t, he only said the reaction...¡± the soldier caught himself again, furious this girl had cause him to slip up and forget himself twice, giving away too much information. ¡°Let me see it to judge for myself.¡±


    ¡°Only the Watchers see it.¡± Alexandra refused.


    ¡°Then you can''t get it in. The Watcher''s don''t want to see a piece of twisted metal.¡±


    ¡°This girl claims to possess a name relic, the Watchers must view it and pronounce,¡± Lady Divorna had recovered from the loss of decorum and also stepped forward, making sure her voice was loud enough for the crowd around to here.


    ¡°Go on man, let her in!¡± a man''s voice came from the crowd.


    ¡°She has a right!¡± now it was a woman''s.


    ¡°Let her in!¡± there were more voices echoing the same words now, the crowd was getting restless. If someone claims to possess a relic, it was required that the Watchers see it and verify it as authentic or not. This was the Base Law, the core of Prydain''s laws and government. It was a right not to be challenged and must be obeyed. Everything, the core of their very society, was built on it.


    Realizing that suddenly he and the nearby soldiers were in the minority, the soldier captain replaced his sword on his belt. He stepped to the side, leaving the path into the Garden unobstructed.


    ¡°Enter.¡± he almost spit the words out.


    The whispers from the crowd escalated as Lady Divorna stepped past the soldiers, the four Oonskat following close behind. Zooey made sure to give the soldier captain a dirty look as she passed, she punctuated it by sticking her tongue out at him.


    The captain watched as they passed by and proceeded into the Garden. He motioned for one of the other soldiers to come over.


    The soldier from House Ghlamont came up and respectfully bowed his head, not wanting to be the next to draw his superior''s ire.


    ¡°Go to the Cornelius Estate. Tell the watchman at the gate what has happened; tell them that four Oonskat are heading to the Winnowing Chamber.¡±


    ¡°But sir,¡± the soldier was a little confused, ¡°they are permitted entry, nothing illegal has occurred here¡±


    The soldier captain did not appreciate his commands being questioned and grabbed his subordinate''s collar. ¡°House Ghlamont has been fortunate that House Cornelius has allowed you lot to continue. Angering House Cornelius would be a grave mistake, you remember what happened to House Benham? I presume you are not such an absent-minded thick-headed idiot?¡±


    ¡°No sir!¡± the guard bowed even deeper, ¡°of course sir! I am on my way!¡±


    He took off as fast as his legs could carry him, his armor clanking all the wall.


    They were a few hundred steps into the Garden when Lady Divorna turned to face Alexandra and her friends.


    ¡°Sadly this is where I must leave you.¡±


    ¡°Please ma''am,¡± Alexandra asked her, ¡°please don''t go. We''re out of place here.¡±


    ¡°That''s not true,¡± Lady Divorna answered quickly, then added, ¡°well, yes you are but you''ll do fine. Just keep heading down this lane and you''ll reach the Winnowing Chamber, it is there the Watchers will see your pendant. It''s an impressive building, you will not be able to miss it.¡±


    ¡°But the soldiers,¡± Alexandra foresaw more problems, ¡°what if they will not let us in? Without you we have no hope of getting in. Please ma''am, I can''t be turned away now, we''ve come to far...I need to know about my father!¡±


    Her desperation and worry had slipped out and bubbled up in her voice.


    ¡°Please your ladyship,¡± Luca also piped up, ¡°don''t abandon Alexandra now, we''re so close.¡±


    ¡°My dear children,¡± Lady Divorna assured them, ¡°you will not be stopped and they''ll let you in. Just do not tarry for too long. Go directly there and no problems will arise. Once you are at the gates of the Winnowing Chamber, present yourself and your purpose, they will bring you inside. Take heart, you''re almost there.¡±


    Lady Divorna tilted her head and then turned to continued down an off-shoot path away from them.


    For a moment they stood there: four Oonskat standing among the smooth roads and ivy-covered estates of the elite and the powerful. They could not be more alien to this place than if a creature of the deep suddenly rose up and strolled along the beach.


    ¡°Well,¡± Luca looked around the immediate area, ¡°here we are, the Garden.¡±


    ¡°It''s beautiful,¡± Sophia was enraptured, ¡°the fountains, the flowers, it''s perfect here. I never thought I would see it again.¡±


    ¡°It''s stuffy,¡± Zooey was determined to be obstinate, her hackles still up.


    ¡°I''ve never been here before,¡± it was true, Alexandra was the only one exiled before she was old enough to have actually spent any time in the Garden, ¡°it''s wonderful. I can''t believe people live like this compared to us. I can''t believe we''re in the same city even.¡±


    Luca tried recalling his childhood, when he was a part of House Maren,¡°I always got in trouble for playing in the fountains. I''d splash water on passing nobles and soldiers.¡±


    ¡°The place the Watchers verify relics is straight ahead down this path,¡± Sophia pointed down the white cobblestone path they were currently standing on, ¡°if we continue straight just like Lady Divorna said we should reach it soon¡±


    Alexandra was anxious but tried to hide it. ¡°Let''s go then. She also said to not tarry; let''s get moving before any more unfriendly soldiers show up.¡±


    The path they were following rain straight ahead but many divergent paths shot off from the main one at every angle. Around the side paths were many white-washed buildings, rooftops that looked to be made of gold, or at least painted in a reflective paint to resemble it. Government offices, homes for high ranking soldiers, they were all here in the Garden.


    Further away from the main path they could see larger buildings surrounded by walls of their own, these were the in-city estates of the various Noble Houses, soldiers posted at the gates to each of them. They stuck to the main path, trying to move quickly so no one stopped them. They were not sure that the soldiers here, out of the view of the public, would adhere to the Base Law. The danger of them just disappearing down a side-street never to be seen again was a very real threat.


    On each side of the path were ornate marble fountains, flower beds surrounding each one. It was quiet here, the sounds of the city did not penetrate this far into the realm of the elite. It was a haven, and island of tranquility among the business of the capitol. Even though it was from this District that Prydain was managed, one could not tell that from just standing in it, it seemed to peaceful.


    As they walked, Zooey saw the rooftop of what was the House Tatiana Estate, the House she had been unfairly exiled from. She sniffed back the tears that were threatening to form in her eyes. She refused to cry because of what the heads of the House did to her, making her pay for their own mismanagement of the House. She turned her eyes back straight ahead, not being able to bear looking at her former home and also refusing to dignify them with her gaze.


    Ahead the domed golden rooftop of the Winnowing Chamber was appearing. Before long, the building that housed the verification chamber of the nobility was before them. Surrounded by large trees and shrubbery, stained-glass windows punctuating its tall white walls, it was magnificent to see from even just the outside. To the left was a large rounded part of the building, where the actual Winnowing Chamber was, but the path wove around to the right to the front of the building. Taking the path that ran right along the length of the center of the building and around the front, they found themselves standing before a set of heavy gates, soldiers in front of those in equally heavy armor.


    There were seven guards there, their tunics were all different meaning that each guard was a retainer from a different House. The soldier immediately center in front of the gate wore black and red, the colour they already knew to be from House Cornelius. He was the same as the same as the solider captain at the gate who tried to stop them.


    The center guard unfolded his arms. ¡°I am Soldier Commander Riesendorf of House Cornelius, leader of the detail charged with protecting this building and the Watchers. State your purpose here dogs.¡±


    The fact they were Oonskat was not lost on him. Given the state of their clothing and general hygiene it was not a hard fact to miss.


    Alexandra took a step forward and addressed the Soldier Commander. ¡°I am here to see the Watchers. I have an item I wish them to see and pronounce judgment on, to tell me what it is.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± the soldier from House Cornelius said without a moment''s hesitation.


    This seemed to surprise the soldiers from the other Houses.


    Alexandra was surprised at the sudden and immediate response, she knew she had an absolute right to enter even considering her social status.


    ¡°I have to.¡±


    ¡°I have deemed your item to be false, a scam from an Oonskat charlatan. We will not waste the Watchers'' time with such trivialities. Turn back now to where you came from and you will remain bodily intact.¡±


    The threat of imminent violence began weighing in the air again just like that.


    ¡°You have not seen it,¡± shot back Alexandra regaining herself, ¡°how can you say it''s false? Only the Watchers are allowed to make that statement.¡±


    ¡°I don''t have to,¡± he chuckled, ¡°why would we ever take the word of a named exile like you. I wonder if they even remember you at House Benham? I wonder if they even want to. Your presence here is an affront to everyone who sees you.¡±


    He knew who she was.


    He even knew which House she had been exiled from as an infant. It could not be chance, how did he recognize her? Were they expecting her? And why?


    Zooey and Luca slowly each began lowering their center of gravity, each eyeing the threats in front of them.


    Alexandra''s thoughts were racing, she could not figure out how this soldier she had never seen before knew so much about her.


    Nevertheless, she raised her head again and looked defiantly into the Soldier Commander''s eyes. ¡°I am here to present my pendant to the Watchers. I refuse to leave until they tell me the truth of it.¡±


    Riesendorf did not want or like that response, steam shot out of his sword hilt as he pulled it into his hand, ¡°we''ll send you packing then.¡±


    ¡°But sir,¡± another soldier meekly asked, ¡°the Watchers should take a look, it''s Base Law...¡±


    The Soldier Commander turned and stared him down, the soldier who spoke up stepped back and hung his head. ¡°I wouldn''t want to have to report to House Cornelius that soldiers from House Dympna have trouble following orders. Be a good man and do as your told without asking questions!¡±


    He turned his attention back to Alexandra, ¡°now, you...¡±


    ¡°Permit her entry, Commander Soldier,¡± the soldier was cut off by a new voice from above.


    Looking up Alexandra saw an older man wearing white and gold robes standing at an open second-story window.


    ¡°He must be a Watcher!¡± she thought to herself, the first time she had ever seen one.


    They were very reclusive, few saw the Watchers even in the nobility, almost none among the commoners. They preferred to stay behind their high walls and opaque duties.


    ¡°But,¡± the Commander Soldier seemed equally shocked at the appearance, ¡°she can''t....she...¡±


    ¡°We will see her,¡± the Watcher turned away from the open window and disappeared back into hidden depths of the building, signaling the conversation to be done with.


    Without hesitation, the rest of the soldiers pulled the gate open and stood aside.


    Alexandra and her friends warily walked past the stunned Commander Soldier, unspoken protests still in his mouth, his eyes flaming with anger.


    They silently approached the large wooden doors that sat embedded in the white stone of the building. As they approached, steam shot out of the hinges and the doors opened, allowing them inside.

 The Winnowing Fork

    Han skal skille agnene fra kornet. Hveten skal han samle i l?ven, men agnene skal han brenne opp med ild som aldri slokner


    ---- quote from an ancient text of Brithwyr as written in the old tongue


    The doors closed behind them and the four found themselves in a large atrium-like room, the ceiling a full four stories above them. Wooden bookcases stretched from floor to ceiling, countless volumes filling them, most without any labels. There was no one there, no sign of movement or life. Perhaps they were being watched, being judged already. There was only one way to go: a large spiraling metal staircase with marble handrails sat at the opposite side of the room past several carpeted steps.


    Ascending the stairs, they found themselves deposited at the beginning of a very long hallway. Looking out one of the numerous stained-glass windows that sat at equal distance apart from each other along the hallway, they saw they were in the center of the building, the long hallway that led to the Winnowing Chamber itself. They silently began making their way down the long hallway; it seemed much longer than it had looked from the outside. Each step was another heavy beat of Alexandra''s heart, her eyes focused in on the wooden doors at the end of the corridor.


    The truth lay behind those doors, hopefully the answers to her childhood, the identity of her absent father. Her footfalls on the carpeted floor faded away as her heartbeat was all she heard. Even the corridor faded away until all she saw was the doors: drawing closer and closer. She reached out, her hand gripped the door handle. Her eyes blinked. Everything came rushing back. She shook her head and paused for a moment. Turning to look at her friends, they were all determined to see this through with her. She pushed the door handle and the doors swung open.


    They entered a large circular chamber. In the center was the strangest fixture any of them had ever seen, a seamless machine of some kind of twisting pylons of metals, rings and orbs dotting it''s protuberances. Across the room there were some men people gathered. Several of the men were wearing the ornate white and gold robes that Alexandra had seen through the open window.


    ¡°They must be some of the Watchers, the ones who pronounce the verification,¡± a chill ran down Alexandra''s spine as she thought this: her fate was ultimately in the hands of the men she was standing across from. Standing next to the Watchers was a man with black as black hair, adorned in black and red robes. Alexandra knew that this was a noble from House Cornelius, probably a named one at that, at his side was his pageboy. Stationed sporadically around the round chamber were soldiers from several Houses.


    ¡°I must protest this,¡± the man from House Cornelius turned to the Watchers, ¡°this is absurd and insulting to the nobility.¡±


    ¡°I wonder,¡± the oldest of the Watchers said to him without turning to face him, ¡°whether you really are concerned with the dignity of the nobility, or just angry at this young one here before us¡±


    ¡°She is an Oonskat!¡± railed the man, ¡°she has no place here! She is desecrating the whole process by being here! It makes a mockery of centuries of tradition...¡±


    ¡°Every citizen of the nation has the right to be here,¡± the Watcher contradicted him, ¡°anyone who claims to possess a name relic must be here, everything is built on it, even all of your Houses'' power.¡±


    ¡°She assaulted a member of our House!¡±


    ¡°We have heard of this,¡± another one of the Watchers said, his voice a slow and even pace, ¡°it has no bearing on this matter.¡±


    ¡°But I''m not really here to be verified,¡± Alexandra tried to explain, ¡°I have this pendant and, well, it reacted to a name relic...¡±


    ¡°House Cornelius objects to this entire matter.¡±


    ¡°Objection noted,¡± the older Watcher responded with a firm tone, ¡°it has no bearing on this matter.¡±


    ¡°The others cannot be here!¡± the representative of House Cornelius pointed at Zooey, Luca, and Sophia, ¡°only the nobility and the person of interest to the Watchers may be present! If we are not to turn them out at once, let us at least abide by some customs.¡±


    ¡°We''re not leaving her!¡± Zooey proclaimed, finally finding the courage to speak in the presence of the Watchers.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Luca followed her lead, ¡°exactly what she said!¡±


    ¡°Sirs,¡± the man from Cornelius was almost breathing fire it seemed, ¡°all these are exiles! Filthy rodents that should be fed to the dogs! I urge you again: cast them out!¡±


    ¡°It is true that only the nobility, candidate, and the soldiers selected to guard here may be present,¡± the Watcher turned to the Zooey, Luca, and Sophia, ¡°you must wait outside the doors in the corridor. Until then, no further dialogue may continue. Failure to follow these rules will result in the soldiers being asked to forcibly remove you. We would abhor that to occur to anyone, despite their social standing.¡±


    ¡°She''s not going to be alone!¡± Zooey was reaching for her blade again when she caught Alexandra''s look.


    ¡°Please,¡± the words were silent, mouthed only.


    Zooey removed her hand from her sword, she knew this was the only way Alexandra would be able to proceed. She reluctantly began stepping backwards to the corridor. She waited to be joined by Luca and Sophia before closing the doors.


    ¡°My pageboy is a named member of my House.¡±


    ¡°Very well Ulfarr Cornelius,¡± the Watcher acknowledged the Representative from House Cornelius before turning his attention back to Alexandra, ¡°now that the others have gone, we are most interested in why you have come. It is rare one from your social caste here before us Watchers. You are standing at quite the other end of the spectrum from where you normal travels would take you.¡±


    The noble in the room however was no placated.


    ¡°This Oonskat...this rodent under foot can have no relic, she is an exiled disgrace!¡± Ulfarr was protesting yet again.


    ¡°Is that an accurate judgment? Do you have a relic with a family name born upon it? We are concerned with no other issues," one of the Watchers inquired.


    ¡°I...I do not...¡±


    Alexandra felt the answers she sought, the ones she had traveled so far to discover slipping away before her, "just this pendant that..."


    ¡°I must protest to this entire farcical exchange! This pig does not have a relic to present...it would have been stolen even if she did. Since no relic, she has no right to be here and nothing which we must look at. Cast her out!¡±


    ¡°But when it was near a relic, it reacted and glowed...¡± Alexandra'' voice was starting to waiver.


    ¡°Nothing but lies,¡± Ulfarr Cornelius waived his hand, "she just wanted an excuse to come here and steal things...or to dirty these hallowed halls with her footsteps, spiteful little whore."


    ¡°What can you hear?¡± Sophia asked, the worry in her voice evident.


    Zooey had her hear pressed tightly against the large doors that separated them from the Winnowing Chamber, keeping them out in the long hall.


    ¡°Are they looking at it yet?¡± Luca was almost bouncing off the walls with anxiety.


    ¡°There''s yelling or something,¡± Zooey pressed her ear even harder against the door, the pressure already hurting. ¡°These doors are too thick, I can''t really make out any specific words.¡±


    ¡°Oh no there''s yelling?¡± Sophia did not like the sound of that. ¡°Are they yelling at her?¡±


    All three fidgeted with nervousness, feeling helpless out in the hall and cut off by the thick doors from the activity within.


    ¡°Maybe she needs us,¡± Luca''s hand was in his pocket, his fingers brushing his concealed knife.


    ¡°No, it''s a man''s voice,¡± Zooey squinted, trying to concentrate on the muffled sounds coming through the door, ¡°he sounds pretty angry.¡±


    ¡°I do hope she''s okay,¡± Sophia nervously had her hand at her mouth.


    ¡°She''s always okay,¡± Zooey feebly attempted to reassure her friends, ¡°she''s always just talking and figuring her way out of stuff.¡±


    Zooey could only hope her friend''s famous ability to talk herself out of problems would be of use here, but a sinking feeling inside betrayed her inner feelings.


    ¡°But then she has us if things go wrong, she doesn''t have us right now,¡± Luca pointed out.


    ¡°And she knows she doesn''t have us...there''s no way we can get through these doors; she''s alone and she knows it.¡±


    Zooey did not like her friend being outside of her protection, she hated it even more that Alexandra knew that she couldn''t count on her in this particular moment.


    Even though Alexandra was usually the one to take care of everyone, Zooey saw herself as the fighter and took pride in the fact that she was there to protect Alexandra.


    ¡°But, the Watchers are there, and, this is normal, there''s nothing to worry about,¡± Sophia did not sound convinced, ¡°nothing bad will happen if the Watchers are here...nothing ever bad happens where they are.¡±


    ¡°They just allow things like us to happen,¡± Zooey shot her a glance over her shoulder.


    Sophia did not have a response.


    ¡°They''re still yelling though,¡± Zooey went back to concentrating on the door, ¡°it''s getting worse...the man sounds really upset.¡±


    ¡°Who cares what they say,¡± Luca decided enough was enough, ¡°let''s get in there! We can''t leave her all alone.¡±


    ¡°But what if they...¡±


    ¡°It''s not worth wondering Sophia,¡± Zooey stepped back, ¡°she could need us. Luca, Help me.¡±


    Zooey grabbed the top of one of the door handles, Luca gripped the lower portion. On the count of three they yanked and began pulling with all their might. The door creaked, protesting any attempt at movement. For a moment it seemed to be budging, the hairline crack where the doors met seemed to widen as the door they were pulling on began to swing outwards. Suddenly they felt a counter pressure and the door settled back into its place as it was before.


    They re-positioned their hands and began the process again. For a second time the same events repeated, the door started to move for just an inch, then on its own reversed and settled completely again. Luca stood back, puzzled, his hands burning. Zooey spat on her hands and lunged at the door once more. She braced a foot against the door-frame and groaned as her muscles strained against the dead weight of the immovable wood.


    She kept at it, shutting her eyes, blood rushing to her face. It was futile, the door would move no more, and Zooey collapsed on her knees panting, sweat falling freely from her face as all of her energy was used up.


    ¡°Watch your place,¡± the elder Watcher interrupted Ulfarr Cornelius'' newest tirade against Alexandra, who was now in tears at the insults being hurled without a pause at her. ¡°You protest greatly and too loudly. We acknowledge your case, please remain civil here...we would be remorseful if we had to eject one such as yourself: the heir to House Cornelius.¡±


    ¡°Eject me...?¡± Ulfarr began but stopped himself, forcing a calm over his demeanor. ¡°I do apologize for my outbursts. I am just so rattled at having an Oonskat shame these chambers, shame the nobility.¡±


    He did not sound entirely sincere.


    ¡°We have heard whispers of an Oonskat female with a name relic, this one in fact, are we correct? Have those words not been borne on the wind? Have they not reached most ears that hear within the city?¡±


    ¡°Trash gossip!¡± Ulfarr retorted, ¡°meat for the vultures with loose tongues, nothing more. This swine has been attempting to incite unrest against House Corn...I mean the Landskyp. My House demands she be turned over to us in fact!¡±


    ¡°What is the reasoning behind the unusual and irregular request?¡± Here in the Winnowing Chamber, the Watcher''s word was law.


    ¡°This vermin assaulted my brother, probably attempting to steal valuables or hold him hostage. She is nothing but a criminal and as the party wronged, a wrong done to a Name family member, House Cornelius orders her delivery to ourselves.¡±


    The elder Watcher raised a quizzical eyebrow.


    ¡°You order? Despite your Houses'' advances these last sixteen years or so after... after House Archdeacon''s fall,¡± Alexandra noticed Ulfarr become noticeably uncomfortable with the mention of that name but she quickly turned her attention back to the Watcher that was speaking.


    ¡°Despite the sway and, shall we say persuasive sway that your House holds over all others, keep your place, the Watchers do not answer to you.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps you should be more civil to me, the heir to House Cornelius,¡± Ulfarr was growing tired of this meeting, his patience was ebbing away and his decorum slipping away with it.


    ¡°You are in the domain of the Watchers,¡± he was corrected, ¡°keep your place, we must have balance in Prydain, a fact we sometimes wonder if you are forgetting.¡±


    ¡°It is best to not anger us. You do remember what happened to the others who decided to slander our name. Such as what happened to House Ben...¡± Ulfarr stopped himself mid-sentence again.


    ¡°What House? What happened?¡± Alexandra could take no more and finally spoke up, Ulfarr giving her a nasty stare.


    The eldest Watcher too seemed to be losing his patience, his serene exterior showing some signs of annoyance at the noble.


    ¡°Enough of this. I have many words for your House during the next Landskyp. Many irregular and unapproved actions have been taking place from this to the new taxes your House has seemingly levied as well as many other incidents that warrant examination.¡±


    Ulfarr leaned over and whispered something in the ear of his attendant. His pageboy nodded, quickly crossed the room and stood near leading out. The soldiers in the room were uncomfortable: it was never that anyone actually argued with the Watchers.


    ¡°Despite whatever, hmm, things we must discuss in the political realm, we still insist that this Oonskat here be sent away. She is a hateful little thing, a thief...¡±


    Alexandra''s eyes were welling up again, she brushed away the tears, staring defiantly at the man verbally abusing her.


    ¡°...and a criminal. She set upon a Named family member, a member of my House! She set upon him with her band of hooligans and attempted to take money from him! They attacked him while he was minding his own business and doing no ill towards anyone!¡±


    ¡°That''s not true! He was about to lay his hands on an innocent girl! Lerrick...¡± Alexandra began to shout back before the elder Watcher held his hand up, motioning for her silence.


    Though her heart was roiling at what the other Cornelius had done to Sophia, she thought it best to obey and engender no ill-will of the Watchers. They were her only hope for any peace regarding her father. Her immediate fate, and that of her friends most likely, was entirely in their hands.


    ¡°The representative of House Cornelius here has, among many other oaths and statements, has said that you in fact do not possess a name relic as the gossip would have the entire city believe. Is there no name relic then? What is the truth of this matter? We would hear it from your lips instead of the thousands that know not what they speak. Idle chatter does not concern us, we have no time for it nor will to be swayed by it. The process and the naming has been the cornerstone of our society for centuries and we will not have it be a child''s plaything. Do you indeed have a name relic to present for judgment?¡± the elder addressed Alexandra.


    ¡°My pendant bears no name, but when it was brought close to Lerrick''s name relic, it...¡± she tried, taking a another step towards the group assembled before her before being cut off again.


    The noble tried once more to put an end to the proceedings.


    ¡°No name relic, then there can be no verification and no reason for her continued presence here! Sers, I applaud you taking the time to see even an Oonskat, it is very noble and kind of the Watchers to entertain the lost such as this, a testament to your fairness and generosity above all others. However it has been proven by her own mouth that she arrived here under false pretenses. She is a fake and with no name relic in hand, she must depart this chamber.¡±


    ¡°I never started any of the gossip! I don''t know why everyone is so interested¡±" Alexandra tried to defend herself, realizing that the tide in the argument was now against her and hope was fading fast.


    ¡°My dear,¡± the Watcher turned away from the Cornelius man and back to Alexandra, his eyes seemed to burrow through her. ¡°Ulfarr Cornelius is correct in his assessment. Without a name on whatever item you may possess, you cannot claim it as a name relic in any sense. Without a name relic to be verified, we have no business here. We shall remove ourselves from this chamber and ask that you do the same without further incident.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Alexandra blurted out, tears streaming down her cheeks unable to be held back. ¡°I need to know who my father was. Please. Please look at it,!¡±


    She took several abrupt steps forward across the floor towards them.


    The soldiers tightened their grips on their lances, ready to stop the dirty little Oonskat from reaching the assembled group of nobility. They hoped she stopped as violnce in this venerated chamber was unthinkable.


    As she crossed the floor she stepped onto a raised portion of the floor, a deep rumbling instantly filled the room.


    Alexandra stopped in her tracks, trying to figure out what was going on. The rumbling got louder and louder, she noticed the floor beneath her on the raised portion was changing texture. The solid marble of the floor seemed to be turning to clear glass! Beneath the glass were swirling gray sparkling clouds, a small tempest underneath her feet. She almost lost her footing, it looked like she was standing on nothing but clouds!


    The floor beneath her, but only the raised portion she was standing on in the center of the room, had become clear, the rumbling still growing louder. A green glow caught her eye and she turned to face the great machine in the center of the room. A glow was emanating from it, from no specific spot but seemingly from from all over.


    Glancing around, she saw the soldiers were equally surprised, bracing against the walls of the chamber.


    ¡°Get her out of here! Kill her if she won''t leave! Quickly!¡± Ulfarr pointed at her and looked at the soldiers stationed in the room, his last utterance almost a scream.


    ¡°Hold,¡± the voice of the elder Watcher boomed over the rumbling, filling the room momentarily with his voice, ¡°once the Winnowing Fork is active it must finish.¡±


    ¡°Outrage! This is an affront!¡±


    ¡°This is sacrosanct, you will hold your tongue! You soldiers, stay your weapons!¡± The Watcher snapped, beyond fed up at the demands being made of them. ¡°She has stepped onto the Threshing Floor. There has been a reaction and we cannot interrupt until the Fork has made it''s judgment; that is the unchangeable way of things.¡±


    ¡°This is pointless!¡±


    Alexandra could barely hear what Ulfarr Cornelius was saying to the Watcher, the deep rumbling filling her years and vibrating down to her bones. She turned back to face the strange machine before her: the Fork.


    The glow grew brighter and brighter, it was almost blinding now. She nearly fell down because the platform she was on was shaking so much, the rest of the room rumbling as well. The Watchers, Alexandra could see them out of the corner of her eye, alone remained standing perfectly still as the room shook.


    The machine started to move! The seamless piece of metal with no visible joints or function began to move!


    The metal spires which shot from the ground and twisted around one another began to spin and turn it''s fellows in a beautiful yet strange dance. The small orbs that dotted the surface of the otherwise smooth machine began to lit up even brighter, arcs of what looked like green lightening would jump from one to another when they passed by close to each other as the pieces of the machine moved around themselves.


    Outside the Winnowing Chamber, Zooey, Sophia, and Luca also felt the rumbling. It surprised them when it started, Sophia falling back and Luca crashing into the wall. Zooey had only remained standing by grabbing onto the large door handle and bracing herself against it. She could tell the rumbling was coming from the room, but the door was still stubborn and would not open for her.


    ¡°What''s going on in there!¡± Luca yelled to her, ¡°can you hear anything?¡±


    She could not over the deep rumbling that was shaking the corridor. ¡°not over this noise!¡±


    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    ¡°Can we get inside?¡± Sophia was making a futile effort to stand back up, falling back down again on her back.


    Zooey made another try at the door, pulling with all her might.


    ¡°Still won''t budge!¡±


    ¡°Maybe this is what is supposed to happen? Maybe this is what Alexandra needed to happen,¡± Sophia was thinking. ¡°It might be a good thing; maybe it''s her pendant?¡±


    Zooey was not such an optimist. ¡°Maybe she''s dead already, we have no way to know what''s going past these doors!¡±


    ¡°Don''t say that!¡± Luca rebuked her. ¡°Alexandra''s tough! She''ll be okay.¡±


    ¡°We''re out of our league here,¡± Zooey was quick to remind him, ¡°the people here have the power of life and death and we''re nothing to them!¡±


    Inside the chamber behind the large doors, Alexandra was still very much alive, but very scared.


    The glow from the machine was almost blinding now, the arcs of green whirled around the outside of the machine. Gusts of steam shot up from the floor around the machine, coming from unseen chambers far below beneath the ground. She gripped her locket through her shirt and glanced down to see if it was glowing like it had when it was near Lerrick''s sword: it was not.


    Heartbreak. A moment of anguish.


    She had been hoping that the machine, the Fork as the Watcher had called it, was behaving this way because of the proximity of her pendant, but apparently it was not the case. Her dreams of her pedant being something special, something they could identify were smashed away leaving nothing but a void in their place. She stood alone before the machine, she stood all alone.


    Pain!


    Suddenly she felt an uncomfortable twinge on her back. Her first instinct was that one of the soldiers now had a blade to her, but giving a quick glance behind her she could see all the soldiers staying safely away from the Fork, far back against the walls.


    No, there was a definite pain, she told herself she did not imagine it.


    Again!


    Her hand flew to where it hurt on its own before she had a chance to think about it. Her hand came to rest on her shoulder blade where her tattoo was: where it was definitely hurting. Straining her eyes to see as much of her back as possible, she could see a glow coming from her skin!


    ¡°No, not my skin,¡± she thought quickly, ¡°my tattoo!¡±


    The tattoo of the name ''Benham'' was glowing the same colour as the machine! It felt as if someone was taking hot irons to her back, she cried out in pain. She tried to hold her hand to her back but the pain would not stop. The light grew even brighter, she could see it now shining past her from behind her.


    Everyone around, from the soldiers to the Watchers to even Ulfarr Cornelius, stood still and watched. She tried to move, to get out of the raised portion of the floor, but she found her feet rooted to the spot. She could see no physical restraints keeping her there but her legs just refused to move! She grabbed her right leg and pulled on it, trying to get it to lose contact with the floor but was no use.


    She was stuck to the spot and standing alone before the Fork.


    ¡°That was a scream! I think it was Alex!¡± Zooey pulled her ear back from the door, still holding onto the handle for balance.


    ¡°We have to help her!¡± Sophia knew there was probably nothing they could realistically do to aid Alexandra if she was in trouble, but she knew she had to be there for her friend no matter what was going on.


    Luca hurled himself off the wall at the door. ¡°Come on! Pull!¡±


    ¡°What do you think I''ve been doing!?¡± Zooey grunted, exerting all of her strength on the door again.


    ¡°Pull harder!¡±


    ¡°I can''t numskull!¡±


    ¡°Sophia!¡± Luca reached a hand behind him, ¡°you can do it, get up here and help us!¡±


    She reached up and gripped his hand. Using the door as the counterweight, Luca pulled with what strength he still had and got Sophia standing and with them at the door. She took hold of the same door handle as her two friends.


    She nodded, her hands intertwining with Zooey''s and Luca''s on the handle. ¡°Okay, I''m ready.¡±


    Zooey stared at the door handle: her enemy.


    ¡°On the count of three!¡± she yelled over the loud rumbling, ¡°one! two! three!¡±


    The three began pulling as hard as they could.


    For a moment there was nothing, then it seemed to slowly be giving way! Only centimeters at a time but there was movement! There was an audible creaking above the nose coming from inside the room, the door''s resistance began to give way.


    ¡°We''re coming Alexandra,¡± Sophia murmured as sweat ran down her face. ¡°Hang in there, we''re coming!¡±


    Alexandra could not hear her friends yelling from outside, she could hear nothing else but the noise of the machine. Her hair was blowing back with the wind being generated by the Fork. Sparks shot out of the machine, some kind of energy arcing off it onto the walls and dancing around the ceiling.


    She was still stuck on the spot, on the Threshing Floor, helpless in the center of the room. Suddenly, a slab of the floor in front of her seemed to fall away and a new stone began slowly raising up from unseen depths to replace it. The pain began to subsided, the glow begin disappearing. The machine began to slow, the wind dying down. She could see there was writing on the stone tablet that was raising up to fill the void in the floor. Her eyes opened, blurred by the tears, she saw the word on the stone was a name: Benham.


    ¡°This must be the verification!¡± she realized, she was too young to remember her verification as an infant, immediately preceding her exile.


    ¡°House Benham confirmed,¡± the elder Watcher announced in a rote manner, his years of training and protocol of the verification process taking over.


    ¡°Yes we already know that!¡± Ulfarr was very short with his words, ¡°we already know she''s an exile from that House! This whole thing has been a waste of time! It is telling us something we already knew!¡±


    ¡°Indeed,¡± the Watcher nodded, ¡°this verification has already been performed and recorded. This person was named to House Benham and has since been exiled according to our records.¡±


    ¡°Good, can we now be on our way?!¡± sighed Ulfarr, wiping nervous sweat from his brow with a folded kerchief.


    ¡°You never were required to be here,¡± the elder Watcher''s eyebrow was raised as he reminded the noble, ¡°it is curious you chose to be here for this matter, considering you found it such a waste of time.¡±


    Ulfarr was quick with his answer. ¡°As I have already stated, this Oonskat is wanted for assaulting a member of my House. We want to make sure no harm comes to her before, well, before we can ''speak'' with her.¡±


    Alexandra did not like the sound of that and tried to plead her case though she knew the ears around her were now deaf.


    ¡°Please, I haven''t hurt anyone! I just need someone to tell me where this pendant comes from! It''s from a Noble House, it will tell me who my father...¡±


    ¡°Silence whelp!¡± Ulfarr cut her off, ¡°you have had your fun and had your moment of fame. We will not tolerate your mockery of our traditions and nobility any longer. You are an exile, the filthiest thing that one could find under a rock. I suggest you crawl back under it.¡±


    ¡°Did you not want to ''speak'' with her?¡± one of the other Watchers put forth.


    ¡°Ah yes,¡± Ulfarr cleared his throat, quickly composing himself. ¡°We will not deal with such distasteful matters here within the hallowed halls of the Watchers. We will conduct the unhappy affair of investigating crimes away from here.¡±


    ¡°If that is all, then we shall adjourn,¡± the elder Watcher turned away.


    ¡°Please look at me!¡± Alexandra screamed, her voice hoarse, her eyes soaked.


    She pulled the pendant out from her blouse and held it in the air in a shaking hand.


    ¡°Please just look at it! It won''t kill you! Just a second, please! Just look at it!¡±


    A deep rumbling instantly filled the room.


    The head Watcher turned back, genuine surprise breaking his serene expression, ¡°what is this?¡±


    ¡°It...it is nothing!¡± Ulfarr sounded panicked, ¡°please let us remove her!¡±


    ¡°The Fork!¡± another Watcher pointed at the machine, ¡°it activates again!¡±


    Alexandra turned back as the great machine indeed was once again beginning to move.


    Steam shot out, the pieces began their dance once more as before, a green glow growing from the metal itself.


    Unseen by everyone who had their surprised eyes on the Fork and Alexandra, Ulfarr nodded energetically at his pageboy who was still standing next to the doors leading back out into the hallway. The pageboy tilted his head ever so slightly in reply and quickly pushed the doors opened and ran out of the Winnowing Hall.


    On the outside, Zooey, Luca, and Sophia were still straining against the slowly-opening door. Without warning it suddenly flung open as the pageboy made his hurried exit. The three of them toppled back and onto the floor.


    Zooey blinked as she fell on the floor. As the doors began to close again she caught a glimpse of Alexandra standing in the center of the room, a green glow coming from somewhere in front of her, it was beginning to envelop her body.


    ¡°Alex!¡± Zooey yelled as the door was almost closed again.


    Launching herself off of the ground, she gripped the door handle and pulled back once more, trying to prevent it from closing all the way. She managed to get her foot in the ever-shrinking gap and threw all of her weight against the resistance of the door.


    The pageboy ran a little ways down the hallway, covered his fist with his sleeve and punched out one of the stained-glass windows that lined the corridor. Luca cocked his head to the side, confused, as the pageboy then waved out the window and then ran away down the hallway further until he was out of sight.


    ¡°I''ve almost got it!¡± he heard Zooey yell, ¡°get back up here and help me!¡±


    The door was opening more quickly now, still not enough to get through, but now they had it open a little it was getting easier. Zooey wedged her leg into the gap now to get some more leverage.


    The noise from inside was deafening again. Sophia and Luca reached the door once more and joined their friend in her struggle. Inches now at a time, the door was opening further and further, revealing the chaos unfolding within.


    The glow from the machine was almost blinding now, the arcs of green whirled around the outside of the machine. The floor too was shaking once more. Gusts of steam shot up furiously from around the machine, the clouds obscuring the view of the Fork. The wind was picking up again, Alexandra''s hair whipping angrily at her neck. She squinted, trying to see what was going on again.


    No pain this time.


    Her tattoo was not hurting now, a quick glance over her shoulder confirmed it was not glowing either.


    That is when she then looked up at the pendant she was holding above her. The green glow from it was unmistakable and it was growing fast.


    Her mouth slowly opened...was it true? Was she about to find out what this was, who her father is?


    A noise of swords being drawn behind them drew Zooey''s attention.


    Throwing a look down the opposite end of the corridor she saw a great many soldiers barreling towards them as fast as they could run, weapons at the ready. The red and black colours on their tunics marked them as members of House Cornelius. Freshly spilled blood dripped from their swords and lances.


    ¡°Hurry!¡± she strained harder against the door, slipping more of her body into the opening.


    ¡°Why are they here?!¡± Luca had seen them to.


    ¡°They don''t look friendly!¡± Zooey groaned as her muscles protested the extended effort. ¡°We have to get Alex and get out of here...something bad is happening!¡±


    Sophia also now looked behind them. She jumped at the unexpected sight of soldiers bearing down on them at an alarming rate. She closed her eyes and put all of her strength into pulling on the door.


    A loud creak and the door swung open!


    Zooey drew her dagger and entered the chamber followed by Luca and Sophia.


    ¡°There are soldiers coming!¡± Luca yelled at the top of his lungs as they burst into the Winnowing Chamber.


    ¡°What is the meaning of this intrusion?! Soldiers, remove them!¡± one of the Watchers tried to be heard over the noise.


    ¡°There are soldiers coming! From outside!¡± Sophia tried to be heard.


    ¡°Don''t mind these rodents,¡± Ulfarr smiled smugly, ¡°they''re just more Oonskat here to cause problems.¡±


    The noise was so much more this time, the shaking many times greater.


    The soldiers already stationed in the room had no chance of reaching the newcomers; if they left their holds against the wall then they would surely fallen over in a moment. Even the Watchers seemed a little taken aback, the glow from the Fork was unbearable to look at. The pendant was heating up as Alexandra held it, despite the searing brightness she could not take her eyes off of it.


    ¡°This is it.¡± she told herself. ¡°Father, I''m going to know you... I want to know you.¡±


    The doors flew open and a unit of Cornelius soldiers boldly entered the room, weapons drawn ready to fight.


    ¡°Ulfarr, what is this?!¡± the elder Watcher was not pleased, his patience at the absolute limit, ¡°what is the meaning of this?!¡±


    ¡°We have asked you to listen to reason, Watcher,¡± Ulfarr was smiling now, ¡°you have so far refused. Now, I ask you again, dispose of this girl. Send her away from here. Stop this.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± the Watcher denied the order, ¡°something special is happening. Once the machine activates it cannot be stopped until it renders judgment, that is the old law handed down since the times of the founder Willem Arkland! Everything is built upon it, this process must not be interrupted!¡±


    ¡°I was afraid you would be so old-fashioned in your views,¡± Ulfarr shook his head, ¡°the Watchers have held the power over naming for far too long. You''re a relic, stuck in your ways, bound by process! Time to let House Cornelius take responsibility for this. We will not allow this to continue.¡±


    ¡°What!?¡± the Watcher had to yell to be heard over the deep rumbling still growing louder from the Fork against all odds. ¡°No House can control this machine, it is what keeps the system in balance! If one House had it would effectively rule Prydain and that must never happen!¡±


    ¡°We already have quite a persuasive sway over the Landskyp,¡± he bragged, ¡°time for us to assume control over the naming as well. That in hand we will be able to direct Prydain in a direction more suited for our vision.¡±


    ¡°Never! This is not how it is supposed to be!¡± the Watcher could not believe what he was hearing, this was going in the face of centuries of tradition and law. ¡°No one will tolerate you taking control!¡±


    ¡°We already have our way at the Landskyp, our edicts become law.¡±


    ¡°The Watchers will denounce your actions! Even you cannot overcome our word!¡±


    ¡°Soldiers!¡± Ulfarr commanded, ¡°secure the room! Kill everyone not loyal to my House!¡±


    The soldiers from House Cornelius instantly set upon their vile work. The few soldiers stationed inside the chamber that were from other Houses attempted to regain their footing and fight off this invasion.


    A lancer lunged at Zooey, who deflected the lance-tip with her dagger and kicked him to the ground. Luca jumped on the back of a passing soldier, dragging him backwards.


    All around Alexandra the fight was raging, but she could still not move! She tried once more to step away from the Threshing Floor but it was no use, her feet would not leave contact with the floor, which once again looked to be glass.


    Zooey parried and stabbed the arm of a soldier she was now fighting with. He reached with his other hand and grabbed her hair, yanking her suddenly to the ground. Hitting the shaking floor hard, Zooey swung around and caught one his legs with both of hers and bent his knee so he came toppling over. He tried to stab Zooey as they both were on the floor but she scooted sideways and the blow missed her.


    Luca meanwhile had been shaken off by the soldier he had jumped and was now dodging sword thrusts. The soldiers around them were losing the fight to the superior numbers of the Cornelius soldiers. A dead body of one of those guards came falling between Luca and the soldier attacking him. Using the moment that soldier was paused, Luca plunged his pocketknife into the sword-wielding hand of the soldier. The man yelled in pain and dropped his sword.


    Luca moved fast and picked up the fearsome implement. Another attacker came suddenly from the side but Luca was able to deflect the thrust with his newly-found weapon. He could see the situation was getting worse, the Cornelius soldiers would soon overpower all of them. He tried to begin working his way back closer to Zooey but he was having to step over the bodies on the floor and keep himself from not getting stabbed or run through in the process.


    ¡°Alex!¡± Zooey screamed.


    Alexandra turned to see a Cornelius soldier with a particularly nasty grin on his face advancing to the center of the room towards her. Blood ran down the blade of his sword, having it just removed it from a guard he had killed the moment before. She tried to run but still she was stuck to the spot by the mysterious force. She could do nothing but look as the guard came upon her, his sword raised in his hand.


    She closed her eyes. She could hear the steam shoot out of the soldier''s sword, that meant he was in the middle of swinging. Her eyes clenched tighter.


    Alexandra felt arms embracing her.


    She was suddenly being knocked backwards away from the soldier. Her feet finally lost contact with the floor as she was pushed backwards and the pressure holding her relented. Falling away from the Threshing Floor, she realized Sophia had dove and tackled her away just as the soldier''s strike came. Alexandra hit the floor, Sophia landing on top of her.


    The light from the Fork had stopped, the machine had ceased all of its movement the moment her feet left the Threshing Floor.


    ¡°Sophia,¡± was all Alexandra could say, opening her eyes once more, looking into the eyes of her friend, ¡°thank you.¡±


    ¡°You''re very welcome,¡± she smiled in return. She reached to the side and dragged a sword close, ¡°and here, a present¡±


    ¡°It''s not even my birthday.¡±


    ¡°Emergency gift,¡± Sophia rolled off Alexandra as she stood, sword in hand.


    The soldier was still advancing.


    Alexandra brought her sword in front of her, ready for him. She did not like fighting, but had learned quickly from the slums that sometimes you had to, and she had become quite good at it to survive. The soldier swung wide, Alexandra jumped backwards, avoiding the slash. She thrust in low but the soldier managed to get his blade around and knock her attack off of its course.


    She regained her foot and thrust again, this time a side swing. The soldier had to give up his footing to deflect the blow, causing him to wobble off balance. Alexandra swung hard, knocking his sword out of his hand. As he desperately tried regain balance, Alexandra connected her foot square on his chest, sending the soldier crumbling backwards.


    She spun around just in time to see Ulfarr Cornelius remove his dagger from the bleeding chest of the elder Watcher. The other Watchers were also dead, killed by the hands of the attacking Cornelius soldiers.


    Ulfarr paused, wiping the blood from his dagger on the robes of the dead Watcher. Alexandra took her chance as he was momentarily distracted; with a bounding leap she was over to him, her sword touching his throat. He let go of his dagger.


    ¡°Everyone stop!¡± she yelled.


    Turning back to the room she saw that only her friends were left, and they were quickly retreating towards her. The Watchers and all their guards had been killed, only soldiers from House Cornelius now surrounded them.


    ¡°There''s no way out girl,¡± Ulfarr hissed.


    ¡°Quiet you,¡± she inched the blade closer to his throat, ¡°you guys okay?¡±


    ¡°I''m here,¡± Sophia was near her, to the left.


    ¡°I''m ready for more, come on dogs!¡± Zooey''s sword was in hand and she was still spoiling to fight.


    ¡°All good,¡± Luca was out of breath but still defiantly holding a sword in front of him, daring any of the attackers to come close.


    ¡°Just give up and it will be fast,¡± Ulfarr offered a quick death.


    ¡°I don''t think so,¡± she quickly glanced around the room, ¡°in fact, you''ll probably want the same when people find out what you did here.¡±


    ¡°They killed the Watchers!¡± Sophia could not believe her eyes, the reality of the situation sinking in as she finally had a pause to catch her breath.


    This was the unthinkable: a House had brought force against the Watchers, going against the Base Law that society operated on and centuries of tradition and order. This was a drastic and desperate move; no one would stand for it. As soon as news of what had happened here spread, it was likely that the doors of the Cornelius estate would be pushed down by the commoners and everyone inside killed.


    Sophia cried, such a beautiful place had been marred by death. Even the most sacred of traditions had been swept away in a terrible instant of violence.


    ¡°Got any ideas Alex?¡± Zooey panted, ¡°I think I could only take ten or so.¡±


    The Cornelius soldiers laughed at the brash and confident girl they had outnumbered.


    ¡°Maybe five for me,¡± Luca tried to smile and overestimate a bit, the humor not really helping his fear.


    ¡°Okay, okay,¡± Alexandra was thinking fast, ¡°we''re leaving.¡±


    Ulfarr laughed. ¡°Oh no you''re not. Can''t you see that you''re not welcome here? We''ll escort you from this life as quickly as possible. There''s no one coming to help.¡±


    He looked directly at Alexandra, ¡°can''t you see you''re alone?¡±


    ¡°So how about that plan?¡± Zooey stared at each of the soldiers in turn as they crept closer.


    ¡°We''re going out the way we came in, the heir to House Cornelius here is going to be our free passage out, a no death fare.¡±


    She pushed her sword to the noble''s throat, touching it with just the edge to emphasize her point. Ulfarr nodded and the soldiers began stepping backwards, giving them a clear way towards the door.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Alexandra was trying to hide her fear from her friends just as much as the soldiers, ¡°let''s just get moving and everyone will be fine.¡±


    ¡°How far do you think you''ll get?¡± Ulfarr was still smiling somehow despite being a captive, ¡°how long can an Oonskat who slaughtered a group of Watchers last?¡±


    ¡°That was you!¡± Luca yelled over his shoulder.


    ¡°I think we''ll tell a different story.¡±


    ¡°Keep quiet or I''ll kill you now,¡± Zooey threatened.


    ¡°No one''s going to kill anyone,¡± Alexandra began moving Ulfarr towards the door, ¡°we''re just going to be on our way and no one else has to get hurt.¡±


    ¡°Hold there you lot!¡± a Cornelius soldier standing in the middle of the door commanded, hands behind his back.


    ¡°Just please move and your leige here will be fine,¡± Alexandra glanced at the blade she held to man''s throat.


    ¡°No one touches the heir to House Cornelius. Slime like you should show respect to your betters!¡± the soldier pulled out from behind a device that Alexandra had never seen before.


    It was a thick rod of metal two feet long that the soldier held out lengthwise in front of him. In the middle were five metal rings that sat upright, and in the middle of them was a piece of dark metal. A funnel sat on the front of the rod, several pipes and switches running down the length of the metal piece. The soldier flipped a switch and the rings in the center began spinning, each in an opposite direction from the one above it.


    Alexandra''s sword began to feel heavy, it started to shake in her hand. Glancing at her friends she could see the same phenomena was happening to them. The Cornelius soldiers in the room had for some reason dropped their swords and daggers to the floor and were just standing there watching, malicious grins on their faces. Alexandra now put her other hand on the hilt of her sword, it becoming increasingly difficult to hold steady. The soldiers all around them were now pulling out daggers made of sharpened glass from their belts.


    A twinge of pain came from the skin on her back.


    ¡°Huh?¡± an expression of visible worry passed over her face.


    ¡°Is that getting hard to hold?¡± Ulfarr turned to her, ¡°I told you that there was no way to go.¡±


    She heard a clank as Zooey''s sword fell from her hand, falling at a direction away from her, halfway to the door. She stared at it, unable to see what had caused her to drop the weapon. Luca tried to hang on but also could not hold on to his sword, it fell a few moment after Zooey''s, ripped from his hands by some invisible force.


    Alexandra struggled to hold on but she felt her own sword being tugged away from her, but she could not see anything! The pain on her back was getting worse with every second as well, it was burning and felt like fire. The pain was spreading, her toes hurt, her stomach, she was starting to feel sore all over.


    ¡°It''s called magnetics my dear,¡± Ulfarr''s voice was as sweet as a bite of lemon, ¡°a whole new kind of weaponry developed exclusively for House Cornelius. I''m so glad to see it works so well. A proper field test.¡±


    The soldier holding the magnetic weapon at the door flipped a second switch next to the first. As the magnetic force doubled, the pull was too much and Alexandra finally lost the grip on her sword and it went flying towards the door until it fell abruptly to the ground in front of the soldier holding the strange weapon.


    Alexandra gritted her teeth, the pain she was feeling all over becoming too much. She staggered backwards for a step, trying to hold herself but nothing helped the pain.


    ¡°Interesting,¡± Ulfarr mused as he felt her stumble away from him, he then turned to the soldier with the magnetic weapon. ¡°Bring it up to three¡±


    The soldier reset his grip on the weapon and flipped a third switch in the row of five. The spinning rings went even faster as he brought the device up to its third setting. Alexandra felt a pulling on her body... no, from inside her body. It felt as if her body was ripping itself apart while on fire. She screamed and fell down to her knees. She wrapped her arms around herself but nothing helped. Blood began streaming out of her nose as she hit the floor.


    There was a ringing in her ears, she could not hear anything else. Things were starting to become hazy. She thought she heard a commotion: it sounded like swords striking against each other. Someone was yelling, there were suddenly a lot of voices in the air, none she could make out clearly.


    ¡°Alex?! Alex!¡±


    She thought she heard her name being shouted. Darkness closed in on her failing vision.


    A hand was on her trembling shoulder, then the muffled voice again. ¡°Alex! Come on, people are here... we''re leaving... Alex!¡±


    The words ran together, barely a low hum over the ringing. She tried to say something, she wasn''t sure what she was trying to say. She thought she saw Zooey trying to tell her something.


    ¡°They''re here to help... get us out of here.... escape before more soldiers...¡±


    The voice faded away as her vision did. Her eyelids fell shut, there was nothing but blackness. A sweet respite, an abyss of unfeeling.


    Movement.


    Alexandra could feel that her position was changing, she was being carried.


    The pain was lessening but her body was in so much shock that she was going in and out of consciousness. She thought she felt hands around her, holding her legs and arms, holding her head in place.


    She thought she caught a glimpse of Zooey, a sword in her hand, then nothing again.


    Darkness.


    Another flash of vision: Sophia''s worry-filled eyes looking down at her, the ceiling above them moving; or were they moving?


    Alexandra could not really tell, her grip on what was going on disappearing fast. There was a brightness, was that the sun? She tried to open her eyes but they were closed and she had not the strength to open them. Her thoughts were disjointed and everything was like a broken puzzle in her memories. She remembered the fight, she remembered something about a new weapon, then everything got fuzzy.


    She was still sore all over but the pain was fading away as her body went into shock. It was a welcome relief actually, the pain was replaced by a cold numbness.


    In her hand was still her locket, she had never let go of it through everything that had just happened. Her grip was loosening, she tried to close her fingers again but she had lost muscle control.


    Suddenly she felt another hand in hers, keeping the locket just where it was, then she went numb and felt nothing.

 Miss Florence & The Greenguard

    An Official Notice to All Peoples Of Prydain


    As has been heard, there occurred a savage and unprovoked assault at the very core of our nation, of our people. Earlier this late-day, the Winnowing Chamber was attacked by rogue subversive elements. Several soldiers guarding the hallowed place were mercilessly slain, as well as a contingent of the honored Watchers.


    Malcontents from the Oonskat have dared to spit in the face of every man, woman, and child of our great land. This brazen attack shows their disregard for centuries of tradition and just leadership that has continued to guide Prydain into this second golden age of peace and advancement.


    We assure everyone that those responsible for this horrific and unthinkable attack at the very soul of our country will not go unpunished. House Cornelius vows to help lead the nation through these dark times as we reorganize and attempt to make sense of the terrible and needless slaughter that has occurred against our most revered of places. We vow the Watchers will be safe and we will return to life as we know it. Stay strong and have faith.


    The name of our enemy is Alexandra, an Oonskat. She has killed Watchers.


    ---Radulfus Cornelius & Ulfarr Cornelius (heir)


    A small jolt woke Alexandra up.


    Slowly her senses began returning to her, one little bit at a time. She felt movement again, but it was different now, it was steady, constant, punctuated with a gentle swaying and occasional bumps. The ringing in her ears had died down, replaced now with distant bird songs. The dark haze before her eyes was also lifting, shapes and light were beginning to appear. Squares of light broke through the retreating haze, it was the light from three square windows she realized. Slowly a small wooden ceiling came into view, not more than five feet above her.


    As her faculties returned she figured out she must be inside a horse-drawn cart that was traveling over open country road. The sunlight was streaming in brilliantly through the three windows that lined each side of the small conveyance. Inside it was around four and a half feet wide, eight feet long, and the ceiling not far above. It was made of sturdy old wood that creaked as the cart went along down the path, moving with the irregularities of the dirt road. Theses carts were common for farmers and merchants who traveled Prydain, usually from distant farms or villages to visit Avindr or to sell in the Market District, a very common sight. They were used by the farmers and merchants as transport for their goods, themselves, or their families. Pulled by a pair of horses, each was equipped with a small steam-powered stove and an outside hose to import/export steam as any device may require. Some of the newest and fanciest carriages used by the nobility were becoming completely steam-propelled, however those were still to uncommon and far too expensive for the average commoner to own.


    Alexandra blinked, trying to figure out exactly where she might be. She was lying down on top of some very thick and warm blankets, there were several people sitting near her against the sides of the carriage, their faces slowly coming into focus. Sitting near the rear of the carriage, next to the small back door that led out, she recognized Zooey. She was sitting propped up in the corner, using a stone to sharpen a sword.


    Zooey had several cuts and scratches on her arms and one on her face that could have been caused by glancing sword slices. She appeared to be talking with another woman whom Alexandra did not recognize. This new person was a woman, seemed to be middle-aged with long brunette streaming down, but was kept mostly hidden under a green handkerchief bonnet.


    The pendant!


    Her heart almost leaped out of her chest. She still could not feel her arm or hand very well, but she could tell that it had long since gone limp. She was on the verge of panicking when she felt the locket still in her hand, being held in place there by someone else holding her hand.


    Blinking a few more times to try to bring the world more into clarity, she saw Sophia sitting against the side of the carriage near her head, asleep, her hand firmly holding Alexandra''s. There were three other woman sitting inside the cart as well that she did not recognize. Attempting to shake off the dizziness that was still mildly plaguing her, she tried to lift her head up.


    ¡°There you are!¡± Zooey said jovially, propping her sword up against the cart wall behind her, ¡°thought you''d be out forever!¡±


    ¡°Alex!¡± Sophia awoke at tge sudden outburst, smiled, then gripped her hand tighter. ¡°You''re all right!¡±


    ¡°Oh, ugh,¡± Alexandra reached up with her other hand and rubbed her eyes, ¡°what happened?¡±


    The woman that Zooey had been talking to leaned in closer. ¡°What do you remember my child?¡±


    Alexandra looked confused, guarded.


    ¡°It''s okay Alex,¡± Zooey patted her leg, ¡°these are friends, she''s all right.¡±


    Still confused of who these new people were in their midst, Alexandra let that question go for now: if Zooey vouched for them, then she would be content for now.


    Her memory was spotty of the attack on the Winnowing Chamber, but she tried to put the fragmented pieces together. ¡°Uh, I remember we were leaving, then some soldier had a weapon...¡±


    Her hand instinctively reached for her tattoo.


    ¡°It hurt, then there''s just images, sounds I can''t make sense of.¡±


    ¡°We thought you were a goner,¡± Zooey was trying to hide her concern behind her flippant tone, but Alexandra knew how worried she had been for her. Zooey may be able to put on a brave face, but after knowing each other for so long, Alexandra could see through that mask.


    ¡°We were so worried about you,¡± Sophia''s voice was soft and warm, ¡°all of a sudden you were falling over and, and screaming... it looked horrible.¡±


    A tear ran down her cheek.


    ¡°I''m okay,¡± she assured her friend, ¡°just a little sore and a little confused.¡±


    ¡°That last soldier,¡± the woman who had spoken to her before continued, ¡°the one who came in last just as you four were trying to get out of there, he was a magnetic trooper from House Cornelius¡±


    ¡°A what?¡± Alexandra had never heard that word before.


    ¡°She explained it to me three times and I''m still confused.¡± Zooey reached for her sword again to continue sharpening it.


    ¡°It''s a whole new type of weapon, developed by the Avindr College in secrecy under the control of House Cornelius. It is a powerful new technology, one of great advancement and power. It somehow uses the proximity of certain metals in motion near each other to affect nearby metals and therefore disrupt the weapons of those around them. It is magnificent and terrifying.¡±


    ¡°But why did it hurt me?¡± Alexandra still had only images of what happened, and the pain to remind her, ¡°I didn''t see anything.¡±


    ¡°I said it reacts with metal, such as your tattoo my dear. It reacted with the metal they used to give you that. Gods, I can only imagine how that must have hurt.¡±


    Alexandra always kept her tattoo hidden, only her three close friends had ever seen it besides her mother.


    ¡°How do you know about my tattoo?¡±


    ¡°You may the center of attention now, but you were when you were born as well. Soon after your birth, they took you and branded you with the Benham name, then took you to be verified in the very chamber you were attacked in. As soon as the verification was validated by the Watchers, they exiled you and your mother on the spot. It was a very odd and curious affair, it had people talking for weeks. Being a servant, I am always around but hardly ever seen, you hear a lot things that way. The nature of your naming, exile, and the fact they used untested metal to give a tattoo to an infant was the source of pretty much all gossip in the Garden, and the commoners as well for quite awhile.¡±


    Alexandra felt a chill, her past laid bare, and apparently had been the source of gossip.


    ¡°I didn''t think so many people knew.¡±


    ¡°A Naming is a very big deal, everyone knows, an exile even more so. Wspecially such a sudden and unexplained one such as yours.¡±


    ¡°I think we would have heard about a powerful new weapon, even in the slums,¡± reasoned Zooey.


    ¡°Though the college in Avindr is charged with carrying on the work left forgotten long ago in the old times, advancing technology for the benefit of all people, it is in reality not the case. You no doubt know of the influence House Cornelius has?¡±


    ¡°Well yeah sure,¡± Zooey offered, ¡°merchants are always complaining about taxes, people argue against travel restrictions. Their name is on almost every stupid official government statement posted.¡±


    ¡°It''s usually their soldiers that are guarding the Market or patrolling,¡± Alexandra thought back to all the times they had to dodge groups of soldiers while going back and forth between the Market and the slums. ¡°You do hear about them a lot.¡±


    The woman explained that House Cornelius had gained much influence, prestige, and wealth these past sixteen years. They effectively control the Landskyp, though no one would speak of that fact openly. Where they do not directly control, they bully and intimidate. They use their influence over economics to ensure their own wealth while depriving others. At the same time, they control the College and their soldiers guard it. The best technology goes to them, including any new weapons, such as the magnetic ones.


    ¡°Surely people would speak out against that. No House can control everything,¡± Sophia interjected, having more experience in noble circle than the others, ¡°it''s not how society works. People wouldn''t stand for...¡±


    ¡°They don''t know. People are aware that House Cornelius is powerful, they recognize it as the most influential House, but they are unaware of the depths of the depravity. House Cornelius has subverted the system, they''ve slowly, inch by inch, taken over the country. Now they have decided to exert even greater control, they''ve seized the very heart of Prydain society: the method in which Family Names are verified and recorded. Now they control the very course of the nobility itself.¡±


    More memories were flooding back to Alexandra like a ton of bricks all at once.


    ¡°The attack! The Watchers! They...¡±


    ¡°A despicable attack, a shocking one at that,¡± the woman''s usually calm voice betrayed an undercurrent of anger, ¡°they go too far.¡±


    ¡°House Cornelius...¡± Alexandra remembered the attacking soldiers, their distinctive red and black tunics. ¡°They killed some of the Watchers!¡±


    ¡°No one has raised arms against the Watchers in, well, never. The position and sanctity of the Watchers is absolute, it is respected above all else. It is unthinkable that a House would so brazenly decide to ignore centuries of tradition and national stability. And to top it all off, they are placing the blame for it at your feet my dear,¡± sighed their new apparent benefactor.


    ¡°What? That''s not true... but they...¡±


    ¡°They already had the official note posted as we escaped the city,¡± Zooey almost seemed proud, ¡°Oonskat menace attack Watchers, four young ones wanted!¡±


    ¡°It''s not something to be proud of,¡± Sophia was not happy with the distinction.


    ¡°We''re famous, that''s all I''m saying.¡± Zooey went back to her sword sharpening.


    ¡°Cornelius controls the information, they''ve already blamed you and stepped in as the heroes to ''protect'' the Watchers and secure the Winnowing Chamber. In one fell swoop they have control over the naming, a terrifying reality.¡±


    Something didn''t sit right with Alexandra, besides the bold-face lie o the situation.


    ¡°That was really fast to have an official statement. How long have I been out?¡±


    "Only half-a-day, it''s early evening and we''re several miles outside of Avindr now. But the official notices were posted even as we were escaping the city itself,¡± Sophia explained. ¡°Way too fast.¡±


    ¡°The notices were already printed, this was planned,¡± stated the woman, ¡°if we had not have gotten there, you four would be dead and there would be no hope left.¡±


    Alexandra frowned. ¡°Hope left? I appreciate you helping us, but, but who are you?¡±


    ¡°My name is Miss Florence,¡± smiled the woman with a small bow, ¡°my word, you do look exactly like... oh never mind. Please excuse my horrible manners: I am very pleased to meet you Alexandra.¡±


    ¡°Pleased to meet you. But, that still doesn''t answer the question, who are you exactly?¡±


    ¡°Concerned is what I am; someone who is aware of Cornelius'' treachery, it runs deeper than even I have told you. Not everyone in Prydain is content to be led along with the false prosperity that Cornelius offers, some of us remember older times, the better times.¡±


    ¡°I think I remember you,¡± Miss Florence seemed very familiar to Sophia, ¡°from when I was a child in the Garden.¡±


    ¡°Yes Sophia, formerly of House Bradana,¡± Miss Florence nodded now to her, ¡°I remember your cheerful smile as you gathered flowers in the Garden many years ago.¡±


    ¡°You were there,¡± Sophia remembered, ¡°you look the same. Are you a noble?¡±


    ¡°Oh dear heavens no,¡± Miss Florence blushed a little, ¡°I''m just a little ''ol commoner. A servant actually. I for years have faithfully served House Divorna. Not a large House, but a very old and respectable one. House Divorna is not powerful, but it has resisted most of House Cornelius'' advances, though they are becoming increasingly hard to ignore.¡±


    ¡°We met a Lady Divorna,¡± Alexandra blinked away more cobwebs from her head, ¡°she helped us get into the Garden and we rode on a flytter with her for the first time.¡±


    ¡°Now that was awesome,¡± Zooey laughed, wishing to ride one again soon.


    ¡°"It was a little too fast for me.¡± Sophia was wishing to not ride one again soon. ¡°I prefer the calmness of walking, you can see people and see nature too.¡±


    ¡°Not a lot of nature in the city,¡± Zooey murmured.


    ¡°Yes, she told all of us at the Divorna Estate in the Garden all about you when she arrived back there. We, all the servants, knew that it must be you. Simply everyone in town was talking about you: an Oonskat girl who put a great fear in Lerrick Cornelius and was now coming to the Garden. I''ll tell you, everyone was very happy to see someone from Cornelius be in such a fright, it warmed our hearts. Well, she said where you were going and long story short, I got word to some friends and we decided to make sure you got there all right and nothing happened. Looks like it''s a good thing we did, or else you would not be in good shape.¡±


    ¡°Some friends? Why would you help...¡± Alexandra was still very confused, she knew Miss Florence was not giving her the whole story.


    ¡°I said we''d keep a long story short for now,¡± Miss Florence''s voice was gentle but firm, letting them know that line of inquiry was at an end.


    Deciding to not upset the woman who had just saved them from certain death, for whatever the reason might be, Alexandra decided to not push the issue at the moment. She was just relieved that her friends were not hurt and they were safe now. The two other woman in the carriage were sewing blankets together, using various small pieces of woolly fabric to create much larger ones.


    Alexandra noticed that there were was red splatter on parts of their plain cotton dresses: blood. They must have been part of the group that rescued her and the others from the Cornelius soldiers. It suddenly dawned on her: where was Luca? Had he been left behind? Was he hurt? Was he dead? It was her fault? She knew it was her fault.


    Miss Florence must have noticed Alexandra''s eyes frantically darting about the small space. ¡°Your other friend is outside with the men, keeping us safe and keeping up the facade we are a simple merchant group. We would prefer to not have to deal with any of the soldiers out on the National Patrols, but we probably won''t run into any this close to the capitol. It is more likely soldiers from the city will be out hunting for you four.¡±


    ¡°Won''t they be looking for you too? You took a big risk in fighting those soldiers and helping us; they wanted us gone.¡± Alexandra knew that helping her probably had a price.


    ¡°Don''t you worry about that, no one''s going to bother a group of ordinary lowly commoners like us,¡± Miss Florence did not seem worried, ¡°the most important thing right now is getting you away from the capitol. We don''t have to worry about any National Patrols for at least a little while longer.¡±


    The National Patrols were comprised of soldiers picked from all the various Houses, supposedly at random, despite these days a majority of the Patrols were exclusively soldiers from House Cornelius. They patrolled the long roads all over Prydain maintaining peace, law, order, and the presence of government in even the remote regions of the country. Being usually a few days'' journey from any person of legal authority, National Patrols were usually given a wide range of judicial powers to maintain order.


    Each town or village usually had a leader, a ''Lederan'' was the official title, but the nearest National Patrol was the voice of the government from Avindr: they were the arm of the Landskyp, for better or worse. They usually did not patrol near the capitol however, the soldiers stationed in the city to guard the Watchers and the Nobility when they were in town was more than sufficient. The areas immediately outside of the capitol were a latticework of well-traveled roads and farmland, some small villages even.


    ¡°Is Alexandra awake?¡± Luca''s voice came through the open window.


    ¡°Here I am, I''m alive,¡± she raised her hand weakly.


    Luca''s head popped in the window, a giant grin adorning his dirtied face.


    ¡°Have a good nap?¡±


    ¡°Yes very. Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°You have a little dirt on your face Luca.¡±


    Sophia was sometimes the unofficial ''mother'' of the group, despite being quieter in character then the others. Perhaps that came from being the oldest one, she did not mind it though as she truly enjoyed helping her friends.


    ¡°Oh, yeah,¡± he spit on his hand and tried to run the dirt off of his cheek, ¡°it''s dusty out here when you''re on a horse. I''m riding a horse Alexandra! Like, a real horse!¡±


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    Alexandra smiled at the fact that Luca''s spirit seemed not at all dampened, ¡°...also it was a little hairy getting out of the city but it''s all worth it. I love it out here!"


    This was probably the first time, she realized, that Luca had been out in the open country, it was her first time too. This was the first time she had ever stepped outside of Avindr, the first time she was not surrounded by buildings and the crushing mass of people that resided and worked in them. She wished she could sit up and look out the window, take in the fresh air; but at the moment she did not have the energy to lift herself from her position lying down.


    ¡°Okay, I''m going to go up to the head of the group,¡± Luca was glad Alexandra was okay.


    ¡°Since when did you know how to ride a horse?¡± she asked him.


    ¡°I''m learning!¡± was his mischievous answer as he disappeared out of the window again.


    ¡°Oh, wow, my head,¡± Alexandra put her hand to her head, her vision suddenly beginning to spin.


    ¡°You should rest now my dear,¡± Miss Florence fluffed up the pillow beneath her head, ¡°you don''t know how close you came to leaving us permanently.¡±


    ¡°But why did it affect me?¡± Alexandra''s words were starting to slur together, ¡°This magnetic...¡±


    ¡°Rest,¡± Miss Florence gently placed her hand on Alexandra''s sweat-covered forehead, ¡°once you''re better we can have a long talk, and there certainly is much to talk about. But put that all out of your head for now.¡±


    The ceiling became blurry, and then it turned dark. The sounds of birds and horses outside died away, as well as the noises from the people sitting all around her. Alexandra closed her eyes, the world slowly fading away. The bumps and swaying of the carriage also seemed to lessen as Alexandra was carried off once more to sleep, her body still trying to recover from the ordeal it had been through.


    Darkness again. Calm. Quiet.


    A light. A candle. Sound. Birds. Warmth. A fire.


    Alexandra''s eyes finally blinked open, sore, protesting the movement after their extended slumber. She groaned as she hurtled back to consciousness. Feeling returned to her extremities and she could once again sense the rest of her body. She wiggled her fingers, they were met with a warm blanket. She recognized it as one of the blankets the women in the carriage was sewing together, it was finished now apparently.


    ¡°How long was I gone this time?¡± she wondered, her muscles severely stiff from inactivity.


    Sitting up, she surveyed her surroundings.


    She was laying in a wooden bed in a small room; this was the first time she had ever slept in a bed that was anything but a few rags and hay on a stone or dirt floor. It was so comfortable like she had never imagined, she felt like she could stay in it forever warm and safe.


    A stone fireplace was in the wall to the right, a small fire still glowing from several pieces of wood arranged in it. The room was made of wood as well, very little metal anywhere, it looked very old.


    ¡°Probably a room in a farmhouse,¡± it was the only conclusion she could arrive it considering she knew they had been traveling away from the capitol.


    The furnishings in the room were sparse: only the bed she was in, a rustic chair against the far right wall, and a nightstand to the left of the bed with a single candle upon it. The only other feature of the room was the window that had large curtains covering it in the wall directly across the bed. There was no light coming in; it must be night.


    She turned and put her feet shakily on the ground. The wooden floor was cold, her toes curled. Finally finding her balance and standing up, she allowed the warm blankets to fall away. Alexandra realized was no longer wearing the clothes she had been: she was now covered by a white cotton nightgown. It was so clean and bright, it was the nicest piece of clothing she had ever worn in her life.


    Taking each step carefully, Alexandra made her way to the door on the left opposite side of the room. Pausing for a moment to pull back the curtains and peek outside, she saw a beautiful night sky, unobstructed by city lights.


    There were so many stars! She could see other nearby structures in the moonlight, they looked like empty barns and horse stalls.


    ¡°Definitely a farm,¡± she was correct in her earlier guess.


    There were several moving shapes in the moonlight though, they looked like guards. Moonlight glinted off a sword hilt. Alexandra almost put the curtain back for fear of being seen, then she saw someone she knew.


    Luca! He walked past the guard, had a few words, then continued. It looked like he was on patrol. Perhaps these were not enemies outside.


    Pulling the door open hesitantly, Alexandra made her way out of her room and into the main room of the farmhouse. A large fire was blazing the fireplace, filling the room with a bright orange glow and warmth. In the center of the room were several wooden chairs and benches. On these benches were Zooey and Sophia, Miss Florence and a few other woman Alexandra did not recognize.


    Across the large room to the right was the main door, to men armed with swords stood on either side. Their tunics were of the odd design however. They appeared to be shirts woven together from several different sources. The main colour was just an ordinary drab brown that did not capture attention, but sewn into that were fragments of another fabric: a deep green that looked like it had elements of gold weave in it.


    It was not a colour of a noble House that Alexandra recognized. When she came into the room, the guards saw her and shot several whispers back and forth to each other that she could not make out. Alexandra could hear a third guard patrolling above them on the roof, the ceiling creaking with each of his steps.


    ¡°Alex!¡± Sophia was the first to notice her.


    ¡°Hey everyone,¡± she stepped further into the room, ¡°um, I don''t remember a lot. How long has it been since we were in the cart? At least, I think it was a cart.¡±


    ¡°Two days,¡± Zooey informed her, before smiling and adding, ¡°thought you''d sleep forever. Lazy¡±


    ¡°I certainly feel like it,¡± she admitted letting a smile slip onto her face, ¡°it feels I haven''t moved in years.¡±


    ¡°The soreness should pass,¡± Miss Florence entered the conversation, ¡°most of it is probably from the magnetics back in the city. It should be gone completely in another day or two.¡±


    ¡°That''s one thing I do remember,¡± Alexandra took a seat on the one of the benches near the center of the room. ¡°Miss Florence, I have some questions for you if you please.¡±


    ¡°I''m sure you do my child and I will try my best to answer them for the most part.¡±


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°Miss Florence, duh,¡± Zooey yawned.


    ¡°No, who are you and what did you come and help us? Servants breaking into a Watcher building and fighting soldiers to rescue a group of outcasts seems a little unbelievable as just doing a good deed. Why would a servant of House Divorna care even? You knew we would be there, you knew something bad was going to happen. Why do you care? Why save us?¡±


    A moment passed before the woman answered.


    ¡°We are not always who we are now, where we once were, or meant to be.¡± Lady Florence''s eyes had a fire inside them, not anger per say, but a deep energy and passion. ¡°Circumstances have brought many people to places they never thought they would be or even should be if nature had just been allowed to take its proper course.¡±


    Sophia thought that the statement sounded just as much about their host as themselves. ¡°What do you mean by that Miss Florence?¡±


    ¡°I was not always a servant in House Divorna. Do not mistake me, it is a good House and Lady Divorna is a kind and gentle woman, one whom I am proud to serve. However, I have only been a trusted servant of that House for the last fifteen years, before that I was the chief maidservant of House Archdeacon.¡±


    ¡°I know that name,¡± it was familiar to Alexandra, nagging at the recesses of her memory.


    ¡°They were a very old House,¡± Sophia also recalled the name.


    ¡°Yes, the oldest that still existed to this present era. They were a House from the beginning, one of the original regional governing families set up under Willem Arkland when he created the nation of Prydain. In fact, the Family Archdeacon were the only know living relatives of the long-extinct Arkland line.¡±


    ¡°They were related to Willem Arkland?¡± Zooey piqued up, even the lowest of Oonskat knew that name: the man who brought the land together.


    ¡°Yes. The patriarch of the family was a man named Arthur Archdeacon, he was appointed by Arkland himself to be one of the regional governors. His wife, Brea Archdeacon, was a cousin of Willem Arkland. Because of that blood connection, Archdeacon was the last known living link to the Family Arkland. Archdeacon was a powerful and respected house, they were fair and much loved by the people.¡±


    ¡°They all died right?¡± Zooey, blunt as ever, thought she remembered stories of some kind of massacre.


    ¡°Zooey!¡± Sophia was taken aback, ¡°that was very rude!¡±


    ¡°It''s okay,¡± Miss Florence brushed it off, ¡°it is true, the Family Archdeacon was slaughtered in a surprise night attack on their country estate. Once the dust settled and the fires died down, no one was left alive. Hundreds of people dead, from the family, to their soldiers, to servants.¡±


    ¡°That''s right,¡± Alexandra''s mother Heloise had told her that story several times when she was younger, ¡°no one knew who it was exactly that did it, it really caused problems for the nobility.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± scoffed Zooey.


    ¡°The death of the Archdeacon family was unthinkable and tragic, no one could quite get a handle on it. There was a power vacuum in the Landskyp, House Archdeacon had overseen many important aspects of state. Economics, politics, industry, all were affected by the sudden disappearance of the House. With the entire family dead, there was no heir, the Archdeacon name could not be continued. In the void left by that great House, House Cornelius stepped in and assumed many of the responsibilities that House Archdeacon had executed so fairly and well. House Cornelius also put out an official statement blaming Land Pirates from the Distansera as responsible for the attack. If you can believe that. Land Pirates are never seen outside of the border of the Distansera. House Cornelius then declared the matter closed and Prydain moved on past the slaughter of the Archdeacon Family, one the great caretakers of the nation. Everything started to go wrong from there.¡±


    ¡°What''s wrong?¡± Sophia frowned, ¡°everyone says we are entering a new golden age, like the first age of steam centuries ago.¡±


    ¡°By all accounts we are,¡± Miss Florence admitted, ¡°but sometimes you cannot see the rotten core by just looking at the pretty and shiny skin of an apple. Taxes have increased tenfold, there are restrictions on travel, new laws being passed through the Landskyp everyday that would have been decried as unjust before.¡±


    ¡°No one does anything about this?¡± Sophia could not believe that people would sit by as their freedoms were taken away.


    ¡°They don''t see it all,¡± Alexandra reasoned, ¡°because very few are in the Landskyp, so very few see everything at once. They don''t know the problems or how deep they go.¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Miss Florence nodded, ¡°I''m very impressed. You have the gift of insight.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Alexandra glanced once again at the guards at the door, ¡°were you all from House Archdeacon? I thought you said everyone died, how are you here then?¡±


    ¡°Perceptive. Yes, the official word was that the family, all the servants, and most of the soldiers were killed. That of course was not entirely true, though close. The Family was murdered, struck down in their own estate, in their own home. Most of the servants were at the Estate as well, the Family was there for an extended winter season, the Landskyp having ended for the rest of the year. However, not all the servants had arrived at the estate yet when the massacre happened. Some were still squaring things away at the family''s city estate, some were on extended trips to other villages to check in and gather supplies. I was one of those, I was on my way back from a distant village when word reached me of the attack.¡±


    Miss Florence looked heartbroken, but continued her story. ¡°By the time I arrived at the Estate, it was under guard of House Cornelius and they would permit no one close. Some other servants showed up right after me, ones from the city and others just returning from distant towns. Some of those servants you have seen, the other woman in the cart, and a few others around our little hideaway here. Most of the soldiers were killed too, caught off guard when the attack happened. You have to understand that nothing like this had ever happened, ever. No one expected it. Some soldiers though were away as part of the National Patrols, others guarding Archdeacon assets elsewhere in the country.¡±


    ¡°But all the stories I''ve heard,¡± Alexandra was frowning, something was not making sense, ¡°said that everyone died, all servants, all soldiers.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that was the official word. Most of the servants like myself decided to disappear. We realized we could be targets, being part of the House. We dyed our clothes, washing away the beautiful Archdeacon colours, but we kept them in our hearts. Some of the remaining soldiers did the same, the one''s that did not, well, I heard stories that they met with accidents and other random ends. Land Pirates, wolf attacks, various things of that nature. Those of us that were left knew that we would surely die if we were identified, so we kept quiet, joined other Houses, became servants again, merchants, farmers even.¡±


    ¡°These soldiers here,¡± Alexandra was referring the ones at the door, ¡°they have gold and green sewn into their clothes.¡±


    ¡°The Archdeacon colours,¡± Miss Florence sounded exuberant, ¡°we wear them again with pride! The soldiers of House Archdeacon were known as the Greenguard because of the brilliant forest green mixed with gold that was their tunics. It''s a name long forgotten, forced into dusty history by ruthless and cowardly enemies. This farm actually used to belong to House Archdeacon. Since their fall it has remained abandoned, maybe people think it is cursed so everyone stays away. Such a ghost story is perfect for us to rest and for you to recover. It is good though, Archdeacon servants are in the farmhouse once more and the property is protected by the Greenguard, just like old times, just as it should be. I think you''re other friend Luca is out there with them, it seems he is quite taken with the idea of being a soldier,¡± Miss Florence chucked, ¡°I believe they have made him an honorary Greenguard.¡±


    It was a lot to take in all at once. Murdered nobles, the fall of an ancient house, servants and soldiers in hiding.


    ¡°Why are you all suddenly out in the open then? Aren''t you in danger of having ''accidents'' then like the others you mentioned?¡±


    ¡°Things have changed we believe. Besides, like I said, no one comes here, we are safe to show a little of our old House.¡±


    ¡°What has changed?¡±


    ¡°Ah,¡± Miss Florence noticeably paused, ¡°we believe in and hope for a miracle, but let us not talk about that right now. Perhaps sometime soon. May I.... may I see your pendant?¡±


    Alexandra paused, her heartbeat loud in her ears. It was her only link to her father, she had never let it go from her person. She had only met this Miss Florence, what if she was just tricking them? What if she was going to steal it and turn them over the people that tried to kill them?


    ¡°No,¡± Alexandra told herself, ¡°they''ve had plenty of opportunity to hurt you¡±


    She slowly reached behind and undid the chain the pendant hung on. She extended her hands, offering it to Miss Florence. The older woman gently took it, letting Alexandra know she respected the value Alexandra had in the pendant. She turned it over in her hands several times, looking deeply at the ornate carvings that decorated its seamless gold surface. It appeared as if she was going to speak several times, but she always shut her mouth and just continued turning the pendant over.


    Alexandra then noticed a small tear forming in the women''s eye, but it was quickly wiped away. Miss Florence handed the pendant back to Alexandra.


    She fastened the pendant back safely around her neck, ¡°so, I get that you all used to be part of this House Archdeacon, but that still doesn''t explain why you helped us. Why would you care what an Oonskat did? I don''t know why everyone is so interested in me. I just want to find out who my father was and go back to being unknown, that''s all I want.¡±


    The room was quiet except the cracking of the fire.


    ¡°You are special, Alexandra Benham.¡± Miss Florence looked directly at her.


    ¡°I''m not, and I''m exiled, I can''t use that last name.¡±


    ¡°Exiled when you were a child.¡±


    ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°How can they exile an infant? For what? You are special Alexandra, you and your pendant have drawn the attention of, well let us be honest, everyone.¡±


    ¡°But why? Why does everyone care? It''s just a pretty gold thing with some drawings on it! That''s it!¡±


    ¡°But what about what it did when it was near that relic sword?¡± Sophia reminded her.


    ¡°I don''t know!¡± Alexandra was tired of all the pressure and interest in her. ¡°I don''t care either, I just need someone to tell me what this is, because that will lead me to my father. That''s no one''s business but my own.¡±


    ¡°And mine,¡± Zooey piped up, ¡°we''re here with you for this crazy adventure.¡±


    ¡°And mine,¡± Sophia also added, ¡°and Luca''s; we are your friends and we''re with you.¡±


    ¡°You have chosen excellent traveling companions,¡± Miss Florence was happy with the way things were turning out so far.


    ¡°They''re my friends,¡± Alexandra countered, ¡°I''m lucky they chose me.¡±


    ¡°Whether you like it or not, you have drawn the eyes of a great many. You will not be able to find the answers you seek in Avindr, they will kill you if you return there.¡±


    ¡°But I need to find out, if only so everyone will leave us alone. After all this, I need to know who my father was.¡± Alexandra would not give up.


    ¡°I''m glad to see you are still determined. You can still find the answers you look for, but it will take you very far. There are others besides the Watchers that could give you some answers, but you are going to have to find them.¡±


    ¡°I''m ready,¡± Alexandra nodded, ¡°wherever they are, if they can tell me about my father, then I''ll find them.¡±


    Zooey sighed, ¡°why do I get the feeling I''m going to need new shoes?¡±


    ¡°Northwest is where you can find some help, towards the Rotsen Mountains¡±


    ¡°That''s all the way across Prydain!¡± Zooey realized the journey would probably take a lot longer than she was even imagining, ¡°we can''t go that far!¡±


    ¡°Who do I need to find?¡± now that Alexandra knew that there was someone else out there who could tell her about her pendant, she was anxious to get moving.


    ¡°The name I do not know.¡±


    ¡°Sheesh,¡± Zooey shook her head, not liking the sound of all the traveling they would shortly be required to do.


    ¡°But, I believe the path will become clear once you head north.¡±


    ¡°But what is that supposed to mean exactly?¡± Alexandra knew that there was a great deal of information being held back.


    ¡°Alex,¡± Zooey did not want to walk that far, ¡°the Rotsen Mountains are very far away. Think about this, why are we going? It''s all very convenient that Miss Florence shows up and points you in the right direction.¡±


    ¡°Zooey, that''s rude!¡± Sophia chastised her again.


    ¡°I''m just saying it seems all a little planned out, convenient,¡± Zooey sat back on the bench.


    ¡°No,¡± Miss Florence was not offended, ¡°she is actually right. Once we saw you we knew we had to send you northwards. We have friends there that can help you, tell you about your pendant.¡±


    Alexandra thought this was getting blown way out of proportion. ¡°What friends? This all seems a bit much for an Oonskat and her little toy. There has to be someone else who could tell me where my pendant came from, it can''t be rare or anything, someone has to recognize the carvings on it.¡±


    ¡°No, only the people that I am sending you to near the Mountains can tell you for sure, any other would just be guessing or lying.¡±


    ¡°But...¡± Alexandra thought this was all very mysterious.


    ¡°I wish I could tell you more dear,¡± Miss Florence sounded sincere, ¡°but like I said, we are safe here for the moment, but there is still great peril all around. My friends would not appreciate me just giving out names. I can point you in the right direction, but that is it. Once you get close, the way will look clear. Just head northwest towards the great mountain range. Trust me, the answers to why everyone cares so much about that pendant, why you''re being hunted now, why it was given to you... all that waits at the Rotsen Mountains. And your pendant, it is not a toy, it is very special, and you are ever much more so I believe.¡±


    ¡°But why do you believe that?¡±


    ¡°Maybe we''ll speak of that if we meet again,¡± Miss Florence was holding back again.


    ¡°You''re not coming?¡± Alexandra just realized, ¡°why can''t we all go? It seems safer to travel in a group.¡±


    ¡°Groups draw attention,¡± Miss Florence explained, ¡°we will head east, there we will link with other friends who will shelter us. You four started this journey when you left the slums of Avindr, you must continue it together.¡±


    ¡°I want to go right away,¡± Alexandra stood, Zooey groaned, ¡°the longer we wait here the longer someone could catch up and then I''ll never know about my father.¡±


    ¡°We have backpacks prepared with provisions,¡± Miss Florence stood also, ¡°it is good to set off at night, less chance of being seen by any National Patrols, or anyone else for that matter.¡±


    ¡°I''ll go get Luca,¡± Sophia made her way to the door, ¡°he''ll be excited; I am too... the Rotsen Mountains! I thought I''d never see them.¡±


    ¡°Let''s get this over with,¡± Zooey reluctantly got to her own feet now as well.


    ¡°I thought you said you always wanted adventure and to get out of the slums,¡± Alexandra knocked her gently on the arm.


    ¡°All the way across the nation seems a little big to start out with,¡± Zooey would prefer an adventure that required much less walking, ¡°this just seems a little big for us.¡±


    ¡°We''re out of the slums,¡± Alexandra breathed in the fresh air of the countryside, ¡°I can''t wait to see what the rest of Prydain looks like.¡±


    ¡°Trees, villages, roads, there you go. Prydain in three words.¡±


    ¡°Ah, what would I do without you?¡±


    ¡°Have to fight more people when you disturb the bad guys.¡±


    ¡°Yeah probably,¡± Alexandra laughed.


    ¡°Okay, okay, I''ll come, you can stop your begging,¡± Zooey walked to the door with Alexandra, ¡°but please, try to not cause any other social upheavals like what happened back in the city.¡±


    ¡°I''ll try,¡± Alexandra promised.


    ¡°Okay, let''s go, the night is young.¡±


    ¡°You guys don''t have to come,¡± Alexandra tried to stop her, ¡°this is pretty dangerous, and it''s my burden...¡±


    ¡°Alex?¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°Shut up, you''re stuck with us.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    Alexandra appreciated her friend''s willingness to stick by her with everything that had happened so far.


    ¡°Luca''s coming, he''s got the packs!¡± Sophia called from out in the yard.


    ¡°The moon''s high, we''ll be able to see where we''re going at least,¡± Zooey looked up at the night sky as they stepped outside into the tall unkempt grass of the front lawn area.


    ¡°The path out front,¡± Miss Florence was a few steps behind them, ¡°take a left at the old broken down gate at the edge of the farm, it''ll take you northwest. You''ll find some towns, villages, travelers, just get more specific directions towards the mountains with every spot of civilization you find, you''ll hone in on it the close you get.¡±


    ¡°Are you going to okay? After helping us and everything? House Cornelius cannot be too happy about what happened¡±


    ¡°We''ll be fine,¡± Miss Florence assured Alexandra, ¡°we''ve hid for years, we''ll be unseen again, but the time for that is quickly coming to a close.¡±


    Meeting with Sophia and Luca halfway across the farmland, they were given four backpacks by some of the soldiers. When Alexandra approached, they whispered, but quickly became quiet when she came up to them. Strapping on the packs dyed deep blue, they silently made their way towards the broken gate at the edge of the farm property. The gate appeared to have once been magnificent, the colour was hidden now below rust, and most of the metal gate was twisted and distorted far from its original shape.


    The entire farm looked like it once was a very active, many barns and horse stalls littered the nearby area. Years of neglect though led to most of them being dilapidated, the grass growing unchecked all around. Old wheel dips in the road were ground in from countless carriages filled with produce and livestock. Under the moonlight, the abandoned farm did seem imposing, maybe that is what helped lead to people staying away. The horror of the fact that someone attacked a Noble Family and killed them was such an unfathomable event that the people of Prydain avoided reminders of Archdeacon, preferring to move on and almost pretend nothing happened.


    Reaching the gate, Alexandra took one last look at the farm before they turned left and began the long way towards the Rotsen Mountains and the answers she so desperately sought.